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The Effect of Legitimizing Explanations on Applicants’ Perceptions of Selection Assessment Fairness 1
Author(s) -
Lahuis David M.,
Perreault Norman E.,
Ferguson Matthew W.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2003.tb01881.x
Subject(s) - psychology , perception , selection (genetic algorithm) , social psychology , personality , cognition , test (biology) , sample (material) , need for cognition , chemistry , paleontology , chromatography , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , computer science , biology
This study investigated the effects of legitimizing explanations for selection test use on simulated applicants’ perceptions of fairness. The specificity of the explanation was varied. After receiving an explanation, a sample of 157 undergraduates completed 2 assessments (cognitive ability and personality), and reported their reactions to the assessments. Results indicate that for the cognitive ability assessment, general explanations increased fairness perceptions, but specific explanations did not. This relationship was fully mediated by perceptions of content and predictive validity. No effects for the personality assessment were found.