Self-presentation style in job interviews: The role of personality and culture

Authors

Delroy L. Paulhus, University of British ColumbiaFollow
Bryce G. Westlake, Simon Fraser University
Stryker S. Calvez, University of Guelph
Peter D. Harms, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

10-2013

Citation

Published in Journal of Applied Social Psychology 43:10 (October 2013), pp. 2042–2059; doi: 10.1111/jasp.12157

Comments

Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals. Used by permission.

Abstract

Chronic self-promoters may thrive in job interviews where such behavior is encouraged. In Study 1, 72 participants were videotaped as they simulated the job applicant role. Accountability was manipulated by the expectation of expert versus nonexpert interviewers. As accountability increased, self-promotion tended to decrease among non-narcissists but increase among narcissists. Ingratiation showed no interaction or main effects. In Study 2, 222 raters evaluated applicant videos varying in narcissism (high vs. low) and ethnicity (European heritage vs. East Asian heritage). Chronic self-promoters (i.e., European-heritage narcissists) were given the most positive evaluations. Detailed behavior analyses indicated that the narcissism advantage was derived primarily from frequent self-praise and the European-heritage advantage from use of active ingratiation tactics. In sum, self-presentation styles that pay off in the (Western) interview context are highly selective.