Exploring the systematic design of stimuli in behavioral assessment tools and their relation to applicant selection in a simulated hiring task
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Authors
Esquierdo-Leal, Jovonnie
Issue Date
2021
Type
Dissertation
Language
Keywords
implicit bias , implicit cognition , Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP)
Alternative Title
Abstract
Implicit cognition measurement tools, such as the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP), have become critical components of both experimental and applied work, especially as organizational leaders seek to reduce discrimination and bias in the workplace. Reliance on such tools calls for valid and reliable measurement systems; and research on the reliability and validity of implicit cognition measurement tools has been mixed (Oswald et al., 2015; Hussey & De Houwer, 2018). Furthermore, little has been done to determine how the design of the tools can be enhanced to better capture the behavior of interest (implicit cognition). The proposed study sought to test a systematic stimuli selection procedure in order to enhance the predictive validity of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP). It also investigated the relationship between implicit and explicit behavioral measurement tools (the Q-sort and the IRAP) as well as whether implicit and explicit behavioral measurement tools predict applicant selection in a simulated hiring task. Preliminary analyses were conducted to test the stimulus selection procedure developed by the current researchers. Findings associated with the pilot studies informed the design and implementation of the experiment to determine whether pictorial and textual stimuli, programmed using two target lists from two target populations, had a significant effect on experimental outcomes pertaining to age bias.