The Integration of Self-Descriptions and Descriptions by Outside References in the Evaluation of Job Applicants

Authors

Jeanette M. Dolezal, University of Iowa
Irwin P. Levin, University of IowaFollow

Document Type

Research

Keywords

Evaluation of Job Applicants; Self-Descriptions

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine how different types of information are combined to arrive at evaluations of hypothetical job applicants. Sixty subjects were asked to evaluate nine applicants for the position of elementary school principal. The information describing each applicant included a letter of self-description and from one to three letters from outside references. Results can be summarized as follows: (1) evaluative ratings of job applicants were directly related to the value (level of favorability) of the information contained in the outside letters of reference and the value of the information contained in the self-description; (2) the greater the number of favorable outside letters, the higher was the evaluation; (3) the relative weight or importance of a given self-description or outside reference was dependent upon the other pieces of information with which it was combined. A mathematical model which assumes that subjects average the values of the various types of information provided a good description of the applicant evaluation process.

Publication Date

July 1975

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

82

Issue

2

First Page

140

Last Page

143

Copyright

©1975 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Dolezal, Jeanette M. and Levin, Irwin P. (1975) "The Integration of Self-Descriptions and Descriptions by Outside References in the Evaluation of Job Applicants," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 82(2), 140-143.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol82/iss2/16