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Selection Interviews of Overweight Job Applicants: Can Structure Reduce the Bias? 1
Author(s) -
Kutcher Eugene J.,
Bragger Jennifer Denicolis
Publication year - 2004
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.1559-1816.2004.tb02688.x
Subject(s) - overweight , psychology , job interview , applied psychology , selection (genetic algorithm) , social psychology , task (project management) , personnel selection , clinical psychology , obesity , statistics , computer science , medicine , management , mathematics , artificial intelligence , economics
The purpose of these studies was to extend the benefits of the structured selection interview beyond its psychometric advantages, and to include its potential to mitigate biases against overweight applicants. In the first study, 133 participants witnessed a videotaped interview and were asked to rate the performance of the candidate. Videotapes varied by structured/unstructured interview scripts and average weight/overweight job applicant. Results confirmed the discrimination bias against overweight interviewees, and supported the possibility that a structured interview moderates this bias. In the second study, 137 participants completed the same task with an additional level of interview structure. Results provided additional support for the predictive power of the highly structured interview, and mixed results for a mildly structured interview.