Analysis and social validation of a group training package for pre-professionals with deficient job interview skills

Ladd, W. Gary (1982) Analysis and social validation of a group training package for pre-professionals with deficient job interview skills. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (31MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

The study involved training five job interview skills deficient male co-op engineering students to increase three components of their verbal behavior that are considered important in the job interview. A simultaneous replication multiple baseline design was used to demonstrate experimental control of the various phases of the training program over the subjects' frequency of 1) asking the interviewer job relevant questions 2) verbally expressing his enthusiasm 3) providing positive information about his education and experience. -- Each subject was videotaped while in structured interviews with a research assistant under conditions of 1) baseline 2) training on asking the interviewer job relevant questions 3) training on verbally expressing his enthusiasm 4) training on providing positive information about his education and experience. -- Two trained research assistants, who had no knowledge of the purpose of the study, viewed all the above-mentioned tapes of the subjects in a random order and observed the frequency of the three target behaviors and three untreated concomitant behaviors. The concomitant behaviors were frequency of 1) eye contact with the interviewer 2) speech disturbances in subject's verbalizations 3) gestures used by subject. -- In addition, one pre-training and one post-training interview was conducted in a different setting and with an unfamiliar, experienced interviewer for each subject. The pre- and post-training interview tapes were randomly arranged and two experienced personnel officers who had no knowledge of the purpose of the study were asked to view the tapes and rate the subjects on five subjective measures including likelihood of hiring the subject. -- The multiple baseline design provided for a test of experimental control over the three target behaviors and allowed for the demonstration of a substantial increase of the frequency of each target behavior upon the introduction of training. Overall, there was no change in the frequency of gestures or speech disturbances. The percentage of eye contact increased slightly following the first training session. Pre- to post-training improvements in interviews with an actual personnel officer were also noted in all five subjects. Two other personnel officers provided support for the social validity of the experimental training program by rating all subjects significantly higher following training on the five subjective measures including likelihood of hiring. Evaluation of the program by the five participants indicates that they all found the experience to be a valuable one. -- In a subsequent co-op engineering program open job competition, three of the participants were hired on the basis of their job applicant interviews and a fourth was selected as the preferred candidate for a position but could not accept because of the candidate's self-imposition of a geographical location restriction.

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