Browsing by Author "De Kock, Francois"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    The anchoring and adjustment heuristic in unstructured interviews: an experimental study
    (2014) Pienaar, Chelsey Ellen; De Kock, Francois
    The presence of anchoring and adjustment within structured interviews has been widely observed in research over the years. However, the unstructured interview is a more extensively used selection tool than the structured interview, making it important to understand anchoring and adjustment in the unstructured interview setting. The present study investigated the presence of the anchoring and adjustment heuristic in unstructured interviews using a between-subjects, post-test only experimental design. The sample consisted of 78 managers and human resource personnel from various organisations. Subjects were required to watch a short video of an unstructured interview, and then provide an overall rating of the candidate's communication skills. Subjects were divided into high, low, and control conditions. A high, low, or no anchor was provided in the question asking subjects to rate the video candidate. Results indicated that anchoring and adjustment does not occur in simulated unstructured interviews. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Are we better at judging traits we share with targets? : rater personality, trait accessibility and judgement accuracy
    (2015) Gierdien, Zubeida; De Kock, Francois
    Researchers and practitioners in the personnel selection and assessment field are interested in understanding the characteristics of a good rater. However, few studies have so far examined raters’ personality traits and trait accessibility as predictors of accuracy. The present study investigated the relationship between these individual difference constructs and judgement accuracy for specific traits. Respondents from a field sample (N = 223) of managers and staff employed in financial services completed the survey questionnaire and rated the personalities of five hypothetical interview applicants depicted in vignettes. Our results showed that raters’ personality traits and judgement accuracy for corresponding target traits were unrelated. In other words, raters were not more accurate at judging traits they shared with targets. However, we found that certain personality traits such as agreeableness and openness to experience were related to trait accessibility for the same trait-raters high on these traits also tended to perceive others in terms of them. In addition, accessibility for certain traits such as extroversion and openness to experience predicted judgement accuracy for the same traits. Therefore, these findings enrich our understanding of rater individual differences that may affect judgement accuracy.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    The effect of schema-based training on dispositional reasoning components : comparing frame-of-reference training and schema-feedback training
    (2015) Hall, Jonathan; De Kock, Francois
    Prior research shows that accurate interviewers have higher ‘dispositional reasoning’, defined as the ability to understand the relationship between personality, behaviour and situations. Drawing on schema theory, the present study attempted to determine if dispositional reasoning could be developed in students who participated in interview training. We used two different experiments to assess the relative effectiveness of two different training approaches to enhance the subcomponents of dispositional reasoning: trait induction, trait extrapolation and trait contextualisation. Our first experiment used traditional frame-ofreference (FOR) training in an attempt to develop dispositional reasoning. In a second experiment, we developed schema-feedback training, a novel approach to training dispositional reasoning that is based on the use of schema refinement through feedback. We found that neither approach had an effect on the participants’ dispositional reasoning component scores when compared to a ‘no-training’ comparison group. The low statistical power (due to a relatively small sample size) was a limitation in this study. Further research is necessary to determine the malleability of interviewers’ dispositional reasoning.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Open Access
    Personnel selection practice in South Africa: which tools are Human Resources practitioners using and why?
    (2025) Buley, Stella; De Kock, Francois
    Personnel selection is a critical organisational process with significant implications for worker performance and organisational outcomes. However, existing research reveals a persistent science-practitioner gap, where Human Resources (HR) professionals often select personnel assessment tools based on factors other than predictive validity. This study investigates personnel selection practices in South Africa, a context with limited existing research, to understand current trends and the factors influencing HR practitioners' selection tool choices. Employing institutional theory as a theoretical framework, the research addresses two primary research questions: (1) What personnel selection practices are currently being used by HR practitioners in South Africa, and how do these compare to North American samples? and (2) To what extent do perceptual factors such as assessment tool diffusion, legality, applicant reactions, organisational self-promotion, predictive validity, and costs (i.e., utility) influence selection procedure choices? Quantitative survey data were obtained from HR professionals (N = 62) in South Africa to shed light upon the selection procedures being used in practice and why practitioners prefer certain methods over others. Analysis found markedly higher usage rates of selection procedures in South Africa in comparison to other samples, specifically regarding psychometric assessments. Factors relating to the extent to which a procedure is perceived as highly diffused and legally defensible were most salient to South African HR practitioners. Findings offer insights into the current state of assessment practices and potential areas for improvement.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Open Access
    The relationship between perceived employability, core self-evaluations, and approach-avoidance temperaments in South African University students
    (2025) Griffin, Rebecca; De Kock, Francois
    Over the last two decades, traditional perspectives on employability have shifted because of changes in the labour market (e.g., technological advancements, the massification of higher education, and rising unemployment). Employability is now contingent on more factors than qualifications alone, and individuals' perceptions of employability depend on a range of psychosocial factors that relate to their personal identity or self-beliefs. In order to shed light upon how job seekers' core self-evaluations, defined as individuals' general self-perceptions, may impact their self-perceived employability, this study adopts an approach-avoidance framework to identify how individual difference factors may explain individuals' employability perceptions. This cross-sectional study collected survey response data from 303 South African prospective job seekers. Correlation analysis revealed that perceived employability and core self-evaluations were positively related, suggesting that general evaluations of self-worth may affect how individuals perceive their own employability. Likewise, perceived employability was related to job seekers' approach-avoidance temperaments. Mediation analyses suggested that perceived employability may be influenced by approach-avoidance temperaments through core self-evaluations as an intermediary mechanism. This study contributes to theory by identifying antecedents of perceived employability, exploring mechanisms underlying employability perceptions, and highlighting the utility of the approach-avoidance framework in understanding perceived employability. Practical implications and avenues for future research are discussed.