Target complicity in the confirmation and disconfirmation of erroneous perceiver expectations: immediate and longer-term implications.
The authors explored the role of target self-presentational goals in the expectation confirmation process within the context of simulated employment interviews. As predicted, applicants encouraged to be deferential inadvertently succumbed to their interviewers' expectation; applicants encouraged to be challenging, to advance their own agenda, did not. The challenging-motivated applicants succeeded in disconfirming negative expectations by presenting favorable information about themselves even in the face of negatively constraining interviewer questions; other theoretically relevant behaviors were not supported as mediators. Of added interest, the self-fulfilling prophecies observed for the deference-motivated applicants carried over to a 2nd interview because of changes in applicant self-perceptions following the 1st interview.
Smith
D M
DM
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287-1104, USA. dylan.smith@asu.edu
Neuberg
S L
SL
Judice
T N
TN
Biesanz
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010560:Personnel Selection; D012649:Self Concept; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology