Skip to main content

Candidate Reactions to Simulations and Media-Rich Assessments in Personnel Selection

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Simulations for Personnel Selection

Abstract

This chapter reviews the literature on candidate reactions to the use of advanced technologies in employee assessment. The chapter distinguishes between administration mediums and media types with a special emphasis on the use of multimedia simulations presented in a computerized- or Internet-based testing format. In this context, candidate perceptions of both procedural and distributive justice are discussed. Individual differences affecting candidate reactions to multimedia simulations and organizational outcomes associated with candidate perceptions are also summarized. The chapter reviews technology’s influence on candidate acceptability and preferences for media types, and introduces the application of the concept of the uncanny valley to this literature. Practical considerations and questions for future research are raised.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, N. (2003). Applicant and recruiter reactions to new technology in selection: A critical review and agenda for future research. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 11, 121–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arvey, R. D., & Sackett, P. R. (1993). Fairness in selection: Current developments and perspectives. In Schmitt, N., & Borman, W. (Eds.), Personnel selection in organizations (pp. 171–202). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arvey, R. D., Strickland, W., Drauden, G., & Martin, C. (1990). Motivational components of test taking. Personnel Psychology, 43, 695–716.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, T. N., Truxillo, D. M., Tucker, J. S., Weathers, V., Bertolino, M., & Erdogan, B. (2006). Selection in the information age: The impact of privacy concerns and computer experience on applicant reactions. Journal of Management, 32, 601–621.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, T. N., Truxillo, D. M., Mack, K., & Costa, A. B. (2011). Applicant reactions to technology-based selection: What we know so far. In Tippins, N. T., Adler, S., & Kraut, A. I. (Eds.), Technology enhanced assessment of talent (pp. 190–223). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Beaty, J. C., Dawsom, C. R., Fallaw, S. S., & Kantrowitz, T. M. (2009). Recovering the scientist-practitioner model: How I/Os should respond to unproctored internet testing. Industrial and Organizational Psychologist, 2, 58–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broderson, D. A., &, Murphy., C. (2010, April). Applicant perceptions of online assessment and the companies using them. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, S. E., &, Malsey., S. (2012, April). 21st century assessment centers: Technology’s increasing role and impact. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cascio, W. F., & Phillips, N. F. (1979). Performance testing: A rose among thorns? Personnel Psychology, 32, 751–766.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, D., & Schmitt, N. (1997). Video-based versus paper-and-pencil method of assessment in situational judgment tests: Subgroup differences in test performance and face validity perceptions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 143–159.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, D., & Schmitt, N. (2004). An agenda for future research on applicant reactions to selection procedures: A construct-oriented approach. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 12, 9–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drew, E. N., Lamer, J. J., Bruk-Lee, V., LeVine, P. J., & Wrenn, K. A. (2012a). Applicant reactions to multimedia simulations. Unpublished data.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drew, E. N., Lamer, J. J., Bruk-Lee, V., LeVine, P. J., & Wrenn, K. A. (2012b, April). Keeping up with the Joneses: Applicant reactions to multimedia SJTs. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drew, E. N., Bruk-Lee, V., Wrenn, K., & Levine., K. (2013, April). Test taker dispositions in response to a multimedia SJT. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Houston, TX.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eddy, E. R., Stone, D. L., & Stone-Romero, E. F. (1999). The effects of information management policies on reactions to human resource information systems: An integration of privacy and procedural justice perspectives. Personnel Psychology, 52, 335–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flach, L. M., de Moura, R. H., Musse, S. R., Dill, V., Pinho, M. S., & Lykawka, C. (2012). Evaluation of the uncanny valley in CG characters. Proceedings of SBGames 2012. http://sbgames.org/sbgames2012/proceedings/papers/computacao/comp-full_14.pdf. Accessed 12 Feb 2013.

  • French, W. L. (1987). The personnel management process. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilliland, S. (1993). The perceived fairness of selection systems: An organizational justice perspective. Academy of Management Review, 18, 694–734.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giumetti, G. W., Wasko, L. E., & Sinar, E. F. (2010, April). Mediated pathways linking internet testing features and applicant reactions. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golubovich, J., & Ryan, A. M. (2012, April). Demographic cues in video-based situational judgment tests. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutierrez, S. L. (2010, April). Comparing examine reactions to multimedia and text-based simulation items. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutierrez, S. L. (2011a, February). Moving beyond multiple-choice items: Examining the technological considerations and examinee reaction to a new point and click innovative item format. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association of Test Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutierrez, S. L. (2011b, April). Perceptions of fairness and opportunity to perform on CAT in personnel selection. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hausknecht, J. P., Day, D. D., & Thomas, S. C. (2004). Applicant reactions to selection procedures: An updated model and meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 57, 639–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes, B. J. (2012a). Multimedia situational judgment tests: Are animation and live action really equivalent? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes, B. J. (2012b). Test-takers’ empathy for animated humans in SJTs. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huffcut, A. (1990). Intelligence is not a panacea in personnel selection. The Industrial Organizational Psychologist, 27, 66–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laumer, S., Eckhardt, A., & Weitzel, T. (2012). Online gaming to find a new job? Examining job seekers? Intention to use serious games as a self-assessment tool. German Journal of Research in Human Resource Management, 26, 218–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDorman, K. F., & Ishiguro, H. (2006). The uncanny advantage of using androids in social and cognitive science research. Interaction Studies, 7, 297–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDorman, K. F., Green, R. D., Ho, C.-C., & Koch, C. (2009). Too real for comfort: Uncanny responses to computer generated faces. Computers in Human Behavior, 25, 695–710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDorman, K. F., Coram, J. A., Ho, C.-C., & Patel, H. (2010). Gender differences in the impact of presentational factors in human character animation on decisions in ethical dilemmas. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 19, 213–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moosa, M., & Ud-Dean, S. M. (2010). Danger avoidance: An evolutionary explanation of the uncanny valley. Biological Theory, 5, 12–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno-Ger, P., Torrente, J., Hseih, Y. G., & Lester, W. T. (2012). Usability testing for serious games: Making informed design decisions with user data. Advances in Human-Computer Interaction, 2012, 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mori, M. (1970). Bukimi no tani [The Uncanny Valley]. Energy, 7(4), 33–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Motowidlo, S. J., Dunnette, M. D., & Carter, G. W. (1990). Alternative selection procedure: The low-fidelity simulation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 640–647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, K., & Davidshofer, C. (1998). Psychological testing: Principles and applications (4th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New York: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakashima, R. (2011). Mars needs moms: Animation is too real, too creepy. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/too-real-means-too-creepy-in-new-disney-animation-20110404-1cyt8.html. Accessed 16 Feb 2013.

  • Oostrom, J. K., Born, M. P., Serile, A. W., & van der Molen, H. T. (2010). Effects of individual differences on the perceived job relatedness of a cognitive ability test and a multimedia situational judgment test. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 18, 394–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parr, C. (2012). Unheimlich manoeuvres in the race to make CGI real. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=421455. Accessed 4 Feb 2013.

  • Parshall, C. G., Harmes, J. C., Davey, T., & Pashley, P. (2010). Innovative items for computerized testing. In can der Linden, W. J., & Glas, C. A. W. (Eds.), Elements of adaptive testing (pp. 215–230). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlus, J. (2012). Did the “Uncanny Valley” kill Disney’s CGI company? http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663530/did-the-uncanny-valley-kill-disneys-cgi-company. Accessed 19 Feb 2013.

  • Pew Research Center (2010). Millenials: A portrait of generation next. http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2010/10/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change.pdf. Accessed 14 Feb 2013.

  • Ployhart, R. E., & Holtz, B. C. (2008). The diversity-validity dilemma: Strategies for reducing racioethnic and sex sub group differences and adverse impact in selection. Personnel Psychology, 61, 153–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pommerich, M., & Burden., T. (2000, April). From simulation to application: Examinees react to computerized testing. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, New Orleans, LA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, D. H., Sinar, E. F., & McClough, A. C. (2000). Evaluation of an internet-based selection procedure. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richman-Hirsch, W. L., Olson-Buchanan, J. B., & Drasgow, F. F. (2000). Examining the impact of administration medium on examinee perceptions and attitudes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 880–887.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, I. T., & Kandola, R. S. (1982). Work sample tests: Validity, adverse impact and applicant reaction. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 55, 171–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozin, P., & Fallon, A. E. (1987). A perspective on disgust. Psychological Review, 94, 23–41.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, A. M., & Ployhart, R. E. (2000). Applicant perception of selection procedures and decisions: A critical review and agenda for the future. Journal of Management, 26, 565–606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, A. M., & Tippins, N. T. (2004). Attracting and selecting: What psychological research tells us. Human Resource Management, 43, 305–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson, K., Drew, E., Bruk-Lee, V., LeVine, P. J., & Wrenn, K. A. (2012, April). For your eyes only? Reactions to internet based multimedia SJTs. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleicher, D. J., Venkataramani, V., Morgeson, F. P., & Campion, M. A. (2006). So you didn’t get the job… now what do you think? Examining opportunity-to-perform fairness perceptions. Personnel Psychology, 59, 559–590.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, F. L., Greenthal, A. L., Hunter, J. E., Berner, J. G., & Seaton, F. W. (1977). Job sample vs. paper-and-pencil trades and technical tests: Adverse impact and examinee attitudes. Personnel Psychology, 30, 187–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuler, H. (1993). Social validity of selection situations: A concept and some empirical results. In Schuler, H., Fair, J. L., & Smith, M. (Eds.), Personnel selection and assessment: Individual and organizational perspectives (pp. 11–26). NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinar, E. F., Reynolds, D. H., & Paquet, S. L. (2003). Nothing but net? Corporate image and web-based testing. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 11, 150–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smither, J. W., Reilly, R. R., Millsap, R. E., Pearlman, K., & Stoffey, R. W. (1993). Applicant reactions to selection procedures. Personnel Psychology, 46, 49–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tinwell, A. (2009). The Uncanny as usability obstacle. In A. A. Ozok, & P. Zaphiris (Eds.), Proceedings of the HCI International 2009: Online Communities and Social Computing Workshop (pp. 622–631). San Diego: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Tinwell, A., & Grimshaw, M. (2009). Bridging the uncanny: an impossible traverse? In O. Sotamaa, & A. Lugmayr, H. Franssila, P. Näränen, & J. Vanhala (Eds.), Proceedings of the 13th International MindTrek Conference: Everyday Life in the Ubiquitous Era (pp. 66–73). Tampere: ACM.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Tinwell, A., Grimshaw, M., & Williams, A. (2011). The uncanny wall. International Journal of Arts and Technology, 4, 326–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tippins, N. T. (2009). Internet alternatives to traditional proctored testing: Where are we now? Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 2, 2–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuzinski, K., Drew, E. N., Bruk-Lee, V., & Fetzer, M. (2012, April). Applicant perceptions of multimedia situational judgment tests. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Viswesvaran, C. (2003). Introduction to special issue: Role of technology in shaping the future of staffing and assessment. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 11, 107–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wendt, A., Harmes, J. C., Wise, S. L., & Jones, A. T. (2008). Development and evaluation of innovative test items for a computerized nursing licensure exam. Paper presented at the annual meeting of American Educational Research Association, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiechmann, D., & Ryan, A. M. (2003). Reactions to computerized testing in selection contexts. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 11, 215–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wrenn, K., Drew, E., Buxo, N., Bruk-Lee, V., & Levine, P. J. (2011, April). Applicant perceptions of multimedia situational judgment tests. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicago, IL

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Valentina Bruk-Lee .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bruk-Lee, V., Drew, E., Hawkes, B. (2013). Candidate Reactions to Simulations and Media-Rich Assessments in Personnel Selection. In: Fetzer, M., Tuzinski, K. (eds) Simulations for Personnel Selection. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7681-8_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics