Smith D M, Neuberg S L, Judice T N, Biesanz J C
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287-1104, USA.
J Pers Soc Psychol. 1997 Nov;73(5):974-91. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.73.5.974.
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.
