AN EXAMINATION OF AUTOMATIC VS CONTROLLED INFORMATION-PROCESSING IN THE EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW - THE CASE OF MINORITY APPLICANTS

Based on the automatic vs. controlled attention argument, this paper t ested the contention that the amount of job-relevant information given to decision makers prior to the employment interview will influence o utcomes for minority candidates. Subjects included 160 undergraduate s tudents composed of 64% female, 90% White, 2% Black, 7% Hispanic, and 1% Asian or Pacific Islander. Results indicated that in the high infor mation condition, Black applicants received the highest evaluations an d decision makers reported the most confidence in their decisions rega rding Black applicants. However, even though there were significant di fferences in the ratings of minority candidates, they were not hired m ore frequently than White applicants. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed in terms of theory and practice.