Effects of eye contact and social status on the perception of a job applicant in an employment interviewing situation

The present study examines the independent and joint effects of variations in eye contact and social status on the way in which job applicants tend to be perceived in employment interviewing situations. The key dependent variable in the analysis is the interviewer's perception of how well the applicant is suited for a job requiring or involving self-confidence. The results, based on a laboratory analogue of an employment interview, show statistically significant main effects for eye contact and social status, as well as a significant two-way interaction effect. Effects of the manipulations on job-specific ratings are also reported, and implications of the research for biases in employment interviewing are discussed.