Interviewer use of positive and negative self-disclosure and interviewer-subject sex pairing.

Investigated the effect of interviewer use of positive or negative self-disclosure and interviewer-S sex pairing on Ss' perceptions of the interviewer and of their own behavior. 36 male and 36 female undergraduates served as Ss; 3 male and 3 female doctoral students served as interviewers. Results indicate that (a) interviewers who disclosed negative information about themselves were perceived as significantly more empathic, warm, and credible than interviewers who disclosed positive information about themselves; (b) Ss interviewed by a negatively disclosing interviewer perceived that they procrastinated significantly less after the interview than before, while the opposite was true for subjects in the positive disclosure condition; (c) Ss in both disclosure conditions were significantly more confident of their procrastination estimates after the interview; and (d) none of the effects due to interviewer-S sex pairing reached significance. The need for further studies investigating interviewer self-disclosure as both a means of generating a facilitative atmosphere and a counseling intervention to effect perceived or behavioral client change is noted. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The goal of forming accurate impressions during social interactions: Attenuating the impact of negative expectancies.

Investigated the idea that impression formation goals may regulate the impact that perceiver expectancies have on social interactions. In simulated interviews, interviewer Ss were given a negative expectancy about one applicant S and no expectancy about another. Half the interviewers were encouraged to form accurate impressions; the others were not. As predicted, no-goal interviewers exhibited a postinteraction impression bias against the negative-expectancy applicants, whereas the accuracy-goal interviewers did not. Moreover, the ability of the accuracy goal to reduce this bias was apparently mediated by more extensive and less biased interviewer information-gathering, which in turn elicited an improvement in negative-expectancy applicants' performances. These findings stress the theoretical and practical importance of considering the motivational context within which expectancy-tinged social interactions occur. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consulting the application form prior to the interview: An essential step in the selection process.

Conducted a field experiment to determine whether consulting the application form prior to an employment interview delays the formation of early impressions and allows more information to be considered before an initial decision is made by the interviewer. 28 experienced recruiters interviewed a role-playing applicant for a hypothetical job opening. Half of these interviewers were provided with application forms prior to the interview, and half were not. Each interview was terminated at the initial decision point, and measures (a 20-item questionnaire and an accept–reject scale) were administered to determine both the quantity and quality of information the interviewers possessed at that point. Results suggest that preventing the interviewer from consulting the application form prior to the interview has no effect on initial decision times, nor does it reduce the interviewer's confidence in that decision. Furthermore, when the initial decision is made, it is based on less complete information about the applicant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceiver self-presentational goals as moderators of expectancy influences: Ingratiation and the disconfirmation of negative expectancies.

Self-fulfilling prophecy processes enable people to confirm their negative expectancies for others. The perceiver goal of ingratiation was hypothesized to alter this behavioral dynamic and thus lead perceivers to disconfirm their negative expectancies. In an interview setting, interviewer Ss' expectancies and interaction goals were manipulated. As anticipated, "no goal" interviewers were relatively cold and challenging toward their negative-expectancy applicants; as a result, these applicants performed somewhat less favorably, consistent with interviewer expectancies. In contrast, "liking goal" interviewers were relatively warm and unthreatening toward their negative-expectancy applicants; as a result, these applicants performed favorably, disconfirming interviewer expectancies. These data support a framework in which perceiver self-presentation goals are conceptualized to moderate the expectancy-confirmation process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived interviewer expertness and attractiveness: Effects of interviewer behavior and attire and interview setting.

80 undergraduate students had a brief interview with 1 of 2 female interviewers in 1 of 8 conditions defined by interviewer role (expert or attractive), interviewer attire (professional or casual), and interview setting (professional or casual). Following the interview, students rated the interviewers on a counselor rating form. Data indicate that only counselor role behavior significantly affected Ss' perceptions of interviewer attractiveness, while perceptions of expertness seemed to have been affected jointly by role and attire. Within-cell comparisons revealed that for nearly all Ss, the relative magnitude of expertness as compared to attractiveness ratings was determined by interviewer behavior. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The believability of children and their interviewer's hearsay testimony: When less is more.

Hearsay testimony from children's interviewers is increasingly common in sexual abuse trials, but little is known about its effects on juries. In 2 studies, the authors examined college students' perceptions of 3 types of hearsay testimony (an actual interview with a child or an adult interviewer providing either the gist of what that child had said or a verbatim account of the interview). Interviewers were rated as more accurate and truthful than the children. The interview was rated as higher quality, and children's statements, including their false statements, were sometimes rated as more believable in the interviewer gist hearsay condition. Mock jurors reacted differently to various types of hearsay testimony, and interviewer gist testimony may favor a child's case. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of interviewer-interviewee similarity on interviewer objectivity in college admissions interviews.

Examined the effects of interviewer-interviewee similarity on college admissions officers' liking for and bias toward applicants. Data were analyzed separately for 3 officers to test the degree to which the effects of interviewer-interviewee similarity were consistent across different interviewers. Results show that for 1 interviewer there was no relationship between interviewer-interviewee similarity and either liking for or bias toward applicants; for another the relationships were low positive; and for a 3rd there were strong positive relationships between similarity and interviewer favorableness toward applicants. Results call into question the generality of the proposition that similarity between interviewers and interviewees leads to favorable interviewer judgments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of information order and frequency of applicant evaluation upon linear information-processing competence of interviewers.

32 experienced employment interviewers provided evaluations of a hypothetical job applicant. The frequency with which the applicant was evaluated during information acquisition and the interviewer's degree of control over the order of information input were manipulated. It was found that interviewers who received information in a random order processed that information more competently than did those who chose the informational order. (Competence reflected agreement between actual and predicted evaluations, the latter a linear combination criterion.) Furthermore, those interviewers who chose the informational order sought the most important information early in the sequence, desired to terminate input sooner, and were quicker to recall characteristics which had been encountered at the beginning of the sequence. Frequency of evaluation had no measurable effects upon interviewer information processing competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do noncontingent interview mm-hmms facilitate interviewee productivity?

Two studies investigated the hypothesis that noncontingent interviewer "mmhmms" facilitate interviewee verbal productivity. In Study 1, 1 male interviewer interviewed 48 female undergraduates. In Study 2, 3 male interviewers interviewed 24 male undergraduates, and 3 female interviewers interviewed 24 female undergraduates. Within- and between-S comparisons did not support the hypothesis, although interviewees' ratings indicated that the mm-hmms were perceived as the social reinforcers they were intended to be. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender and nonverbal decoding skill as determinants of interpersonal expectancy effects.

Investigated the occurrence of the self-fulfilling prophecy in same- and mixed-sex dyads. 10 male and female undergraduates served as interviewers and interacted with 90 male and female interviewees. It was hypothesized that male interviewers (a) would be more influenced by erroneous preinteraction information about interviewees than females, (b) would show more biased behavior toward their interviewees, and (c) would be more influential at producing behavior in the interviewees that confirmed their expectations. It was also anticipated that female interviewees would be more responsive to the interpersonal expectations of their interviewers and show stronger behavioral confirmation. Results show that males were more biased by their expectations and produced stronger behavioral confirmation in their interviewees than females, and that female interviewees more readily showed behavioral confirmation than males. Males who were good audio decoders accurately diagnosed more bias in the behavior of their interviewers than males who were poor decoders (Profile on Nonverbal Sensitivity). (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of interviewer gender in mental health interviews

Despite indications that gender can affect the disclosure of personal information, few studies examine the effects of interviewer gender in eliciting information pertaining to psychological functioning and mental health. Analysis of data collected at the Los Angeles site of the Epidemiological Catchment Area Study reveals that interviewer gender is significantly related to respondents' reports of psychiatric symptoms. Male and female respondents interviewed by women report more symptoms of depression, substance abuse, and conduct disorders than respondents interviewed by men. It is suggested that female interviewers may create conditions more conducive to disclosure and be perceived as more sympathetic than male interviewers. Although limitations of both data and analysis preclude a definitive conclusion, the findings suggest that interviewer gender may influence disclosure in mental health and related types of interviews.     

Effects of discrete emotions on young children's suggestibility.

Two experiments investigated the effects of sadness, anger, and happiness on 4- to 6-year-old children's memory and suggestibility concerning story events. In Experiment 1, children were presented with 3 interactive stories on a video monitor. The stories included protagonists who wanted to give the child a prize. After each story, the child completed a task to try to win the prize. The outcome of the child's effort was manipulated in order to elicit sadness, anger, or happiness. Children's emotions did not affect story recall, but children were more vulnerable to misleading questions about the stories when sad than when angry or happy. In Experiment 2, a story was presented and emotions were elicited using an autobiographical recall task. Children responded to misleading questions and then recalled the story for a different interviewer. Again, children's emotions did not affect the amount of story information recalled correctly, but sad children incorporated more information from misleading questions during recall than did angry or happy children. Sad children's greater suggestibility is discussed in terms of the differing problem-solving strategies associated with discrete emotions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of race on interview ratings in a situational panel interview.

This study investigated the effects of interviewer race, candidate race, and racial composition of interview panels on interview ratings. Data were collected on 153 police officers applying for promotion. Results confirmed a same-race rating effect (i.e., candidates racially similar to interviewers received higher ratings) for Black and White interviewers on racially balanced panels. A majority-race rating effect (i.e., candidates racially similar to the majority race of panel interviewers received higher ratings) existed for Black and White interviewers on primarily White panels. Rating patterns of Black and White interviewers on primarily Black panels also suggested a majority-race rating effect. Racial composition of selection interview panels in combination with interviewer and candidate race were proposed as variables affecting candidates' ratings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confirming first impressions in the employment interview: A field study of interviewer behavior.

Examined behavioral styles used by interviewers to confirm their 1st impressions of job applicants. Three interviewers in a corporate setting formed 1st impressions based on application blank and test score information. They then conducted audiotaped interviews. Coders independently coded 79 interviews and found that 1st impressions were related to confirmatory behavior. Interviewers followed up positive 1st impressions, for example, by showing positive regard toward applicants, "selling" the company and giving job information, and gathering less information. Applicants' communication style and rapport with interviewers also differed. Significant differences in confirmatory behaviors also occurred among the 3 interviewers. A number of interviewer behaviors, especially positive regard, were related to applicant behavior in interviews. Although previous studies of expectancy confirmation have produced mixed results, the present results suggest that interviewers in natural settings do use confirmatory strategies, underscoring the importance of additional research on "self-fulfilling prophecies." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in nonprofessional (novice) interviewers over a 3-year training period

This is a study of the changes that occur in undergraduate interviewers as traced in 3 interviews over a 3-yr training period and replicated over 2 classes. For each class, the 3 sets of novice interviews were compared with a single set of professional interviews. Interviewees were female freshmen students. A total of 46 interviewers, student and professional, participated. Student interviewees perceived student interviewers as more benign than professional interviewers over the series of interviews. They rated the professionals as more skilled but only on the 1st set of interviews. On warmth and genuineness, student interviewers either maintained or acquired advantages over the professional group over the duration of the study. Student interviewers were more verbally flustered than professionals in their first interviews but not later. The payoff variable of interviewee productivity did not distinguish between professionals and novices at any time. Implications for the concept of interviewer status and for the use of paraprofessionals in conducting mental health interviews are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Race of employment interviewer and reasons given by black job seekers for leaving their jobs.

Compared the job-leaving reasons given by 40 black job seekers to black and white female employment interviewers at a state employment service. Black interviewers elicited more reasons that involved a rejection of the job by the worker or a rejection of the worker by the employer than did white interviewers. Because job-leaving reasons are often viewed by state employment service interviewers as part of a job seeker's credentials, it is possible that interviewer decisions are influenced by this racial artifact of the interviewing situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of interviewer self-disclosure and interviewer-subject sex pairing on perceived and actual subject behavior.

The content (positive or negative) of interviewer self-disclosure regarding their own procrastination and study behavior as undergraduates was manipulated with all additional parameters of self-disclosure controlled. 16 male and 16 female college students discussed their tendency to procrastinate with either male or female interviewers who positively or negatively self-disclosed. Results indicate that (a) after the interview, Ss in the positive disclosure condition expected to study significantly more hours and did study significantly more hours than Ss in the negative disclosure condition; (b) Ss in the positive disclosure condition perceived that they procrastinated significantly more after the interview than before, while the opposite was true for Ss in the negative disclosure condition; and (c) negatively disclosing interviewers were perceived as significantly higher on unconditionality of regard and credibility than positively disclosing interviewers. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The reaction of interviewers to favorable and unfavorable information.

How do interviewers react as information shifts in the direction of favorability or unfavorability? No actual interviews were involved. Protocols were used by 16 raters. "Primacy effects are shown to be related to the first shift in direction of evidence; magnitude of effects are shown to be related to the degree of interviewer committment at the point of shift and the weight of the challenging information." From Psyc Abstracts 36:01:3LD97B. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Policy capturing in the employment interview.

Employed an information-processing perspective to analyze the judgments of individual employment interviewers in a corporate setting. Linear policy-capturing equations were estimated from 3 interviewers' ratings of 120 job applicants in live and audiotaped interviews. The equations were evaluated across interviewers to identify sources of predictive validity and consistency in information use. In competition with the interviewers from whom they were derived, regression models displayed higher predictive validities in a majority of instances. Following training on selected rating dimensions, interviewers' predictive validities improved. After interviewer training, the regression models of the training dimensions yielded higher predictive validities than all 3 interviewers. Results suggest specific directions for enhancing the effectiveness of interviewing in the employee-selection process. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of client perceived need and counselor role on clients' behaviors.

Employed a multifactor 2 (high and low need) by 2 (expert and inexpert role) by 2 (interviewers) fixed effects design to evaluate the effects of S perceived need and interviewer role on an S's opinions and behaviors. 90 female undergraduates attended a 20-min counseling analog interview in which they discussed their problem-solving skills. During this time the interviewer attempted to alter Ss' ratings of their problem-solving skills as well as 2 extrainterview behaviors. Following the interview, Ss rated the interviewer on a counselor rating form, responded to 2 problem-solving inventories, and were given the opportunity to engage in 2 self-help activities outside of the interview. The results indicate that the roles were perceived as intended and resulted in the intended opinion changes. Perceived interviewer expertness did influence Ss to engage in certain self-help activities, but the scope of those behaviors was limited. Contrary to earlier postulations, differential S need did not affect interviewer's ability to influence Ss' opinions or behaviors. Additional research is needed to test the theoretical formula regarding counselor power, as well as to explore the range of effects of perceived counselor expertness. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)