Selection interview decisions: The relative influence of appearance and factual written information on an interviewer's final rating

Abstract

INVESTIGATED THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF APPEARANCE VS. FACTUAL WRITTEN DATA ON AN INTERVIEWER'S FINAL EVALUATION OF AN APPLICANT FOR THE JOB OF LIFE INSURANCE AGENT. THE APPEARANCE AND WRITTEN INFORMATION WERE PRESENTED TO SS IN COMPLEMENTARY AND CONTRASTING PATTERNS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE APPEARANCE DATA HAD LITTLE IMPACT ON THE FINAL RATING. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT WHEN THE APPEARANCE DATA AND WRITTEN INFORMATION WERE PRESENTED IN A COMPLEMENTARY MANNER THERE EXISTED A COMPONENT IN THE FINAL RATING DUE TO INFORMATION FAVORABLENESS GREATER THAN THAT CONTRIBUTED BY THE SEPARATE RATINGS OF THE APPEARANCE AND WRITTEN INFORMATION. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)