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

Abstract

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) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)