Table Of ContentUTILIZATION AND VALIDITY OF NONVERBAL CUES
IN THE STRUCTURED INTERVIEW
BY
JENNIFER R. BURNETT
A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
1993
UnB
»tY na^
of
Copyright 1993
by
Jennifer R. Burnett
.
This work is dedicated to my supportive, patient, and ever
loving husband, Tom, who has helped me become all that I am,
and all that I will ever be; to my wonderful and caring
parents, who always believed in me and who instilled in me
the ambition and strength to reach for my goals; and to my
two brothers for their constant encouragement and
inspiration
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks are extended to my chairman, Dr. Stephan
Motowidlo, for his enduring guidance. His confidence in the
results and related implications of this line of research has
been very inspiring. As a committed mentor, he made the
dissertation process a true learning process. I am also
sincerely grateful for the support of Dr. Henry Tosi. His
belief in my abilities, constant encouragement, and
invaluable advice helped me to reach my goals. Dr. Norman
Markel was also a integral part of my learning experience.
He not only offered his expertise in the field of nonverbal
communication, but he also provided a much appreciated,
realistic perspective to this experience. Finally, I would
like to acknowledge the contribution of Dr. Wesley
Hutchinson. His suggestions and viewpoint were greatly
appreciated.
The financial and logistical support of Dr. Sanford Berg
and the Public Utility Research Center at the University of
Florida was greatly appreciated. His assistance made this
research possible.
A special acknowledgement is given to my parents and
brothers Their faith in me was unwavering, and their
.
excitement in my accomplishments has made it all worthwhile.
iv
Finally, none of this would have been possible without my
husband, Tom. The long hours, doubts, and frequent obstacles
could not have been overcome without his undying patience,
understanding and strong belief in me. My accomplishments
are a direct result of his love and encouragement.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv
ABSTRACT viii
INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW 1
Introduction 1
Structured Interviews 2
Theoretical Perspectives on the Effectiveness of the
Structured Interview 13
Attention to and Utilization of Nonverbal Cues in the
Interview 24
Issues of Concern and Future Directions 46
PRELIMINARY STUDIES AND THE CURRENT STUDY RESEARCH
QUESTIONS 59
Study #1: The Development and Validation of the
Interview 60
Study #2: Aural and Visual Sources of Validity 66
Study #3: Identifying Important Nonverbal Behaviors 71
Implications of Preliminary Studies on the Current
Study 81
Current Research Study 84
HYPOTHESES, METHODS, AND PROCEDURES 88
Research Hypotheses 88
Methods and Procedures 92
Reliabilities 105
Data Analysis 113
RESULTS 115
Total Sample Analyses 115
Analyses by Interviewee Sex 121
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 130
Cue Utilization and the Ecological Validity of
Nonverbal Cues 130
Incremental Validity 133
Sex Differences 134
vi
Contributions and Limitations 138
Summary and Conclusions 140
APPENDIX A INTERVIEW PROTOCOL AND INTERVIEW DIMENSIONS .... 142
APPENDIX B SUPERVISORY RATING FORMS 156
APPENDIX C TRAITS ASSOCIATED WITH BEHAVIORAL DIMENSIONS 164
. . .
APPENDIX D NONVERBAL CUE RATING FORMS 169
REFERENCES 186
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 195
vii
Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School
of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
UTILIZATION AND VALIDITY OF NONVERBAL CUES
IN THE STRUCTURED INTERVIEW
By
Jennifer R. Burnett
August, 1993
Chairman: Stephan J. Motowidlo, Ph.D
Major Department: Management
The purpose of this study was to determine if nonverbal
cues are utilized by interview raters, are related to
performance ratings, and contribute incrementally to the
validity of a structured interview. Simulated job interviews
with 60 managers from 4 utility companies were recorded on
videotape. Supervisors provided performance ratings.
Undergraduate raters (N=167) watched the videotaped
interviews and rated subjects on 4 dimensions of managerial
effectiveness. Eight nonverbal behaviors, including gaze,
smiling, hand movement, back/side lean, body orientation,
physical attractiveness, dress, and vocal attractiveness,
were scored by independent judges.
Nonverbal cues, in combination, were significantly
correlated with both interview (r=.33, p<.01) and performance
Vlll
.
(r=.21, p<.05) ratings. Gaze was the only nonverbal cue
which was not only utilized by interview raters, but also was
a valid indicator of performance Independent measures of
.
nonverbal cues did not contribute incrementally to the
validity of the interview, suggesting that interview raters
were utilizing cues sufficiently.
Results differed according to the sex of the
interviewee. Although nonverbal cues correlated
significantly with interview ratings for both men (r=.30,
p<.05, N=32) and women (r=.39, p<.05, N=28) correlations
,
with performance substantially differed by sex (men: r=-.18,
n.s.; women: r=.67, p<.001). For women only, combined
dynamic cues were both utilized by interview raters (r=.31,
p<.05), and significantly correlated with supervisory ratings
of performance (r=.56, p<.001) Also, for women,
.
independently rated nonverbal cues added significantly to the
prediction of performance, beyond that of interview ratings
alone. This indicates that interview raters were not
sufficiently utilizing nonverbal cues when judging female
interviewees
It was concluded that nonverbal cues influence
structured interview ratings, and are related to supervisory
ratings of performance. Gaze, in particular, seems to be a
valid nonverbal cue to utilize in the interview. Three
explanations are proposed regarding the compelling sex
differences found in this study.
ix
.
INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Despite years of criticism about the interview's low
reliability and validity, it has prevailed as one of the most
popular methods of selection. Recently developed structured
interview techniques have lifted some of the negativity
surrounding the use of the interview. Studies that have
tested structured interview formats have provided favorable
reports of their use to increase the validity and reliability
of interviewer's judgments (M. Campion, Pursell, and Brown,
1988; Janz, 1982; Latham, Saari, Pursell, and M. Campion,
1980; Motowidlo, Carter, Dunnette, Tippins, Werner, Burnett,
and Vaughan, 1992) Researchers must continue to investigate
.
how to improve the structured interview in order to obtain
accurate ratings that identify qualified job candidates
This study will focus on a set of factors that, research
has shown, affects the favorability of interviewer's
judgments. These factors are nonverbal cues. The specific
focus here is on the effect of nonverbal cues (e.g. body
positioning, gestures, facial expressions, voice
characteristics, appearance and attractiveness) on the
validity with which interviewers make predictions of
applicants' future job performance.
