TY - JOUR
T1 - Using pre-test explanations to improve test-taker reactions
T2 - Testing a set of “wise” interventions
AU - McCarthy, Julie M.
AU - Bauer, Talya N.
AU - Truxillo, Donald M.
AU - Campion, Michael C.
AU - Van Iddekinge, Chad H.
AU - Campion, Michael A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2017/7
Y1 - 2017/7
N2 - The present research tested a set of “wise” interventions (Walton, 2014) designed to improve employee reactions to assessment tests. Drawing upon theories of test-taking reactions, fairness, and social exchange, we generated and pilot-tested pre-test explanations to facilitate positive reactions to the assessments. Across two experimental studies of working adults, we tested a control condition and four experimental groups: (1) an informational fairness condition, (2) a social fairness condition, (3) an uncertainty reduction condition, and (4) a combined condition. In the first study, 256 retail employees were randomly assigned to one of the pre-test explanation conditions before completing a work sample test. Findings indicated higher perceptions of fairness for test-takers in the combined explanation group. In addition, the effects of the test explanations depended upon two contextual variables: test-takers’ level of perceived organizational support and the quality of leader-member exchange relationships with their supervisors. In the second study, the mechanisms underlying pre-test explanations were examined using an online sample of 269 working adults. Consistent with our conceptual framework, findings demonstrated that pre-test explanations had direct effects on transparency, respect, and reassurance. Taken together, these findings have implications for understanding the effects of pre-test explanations in organizational settings as well as the boundary conditions for their use.
AB - The present research tested a set of “wise” interventions (Walton, 2014) designed to improve employee reactions to assessment tests. Drawing upon theories of test-taking reactions, fairness, and social exchange, we generated and pilot-tested pre-test explanations to facilitate positive reactions to the assessments. Across two experimental studies of working adults, we tested a control condition and four experimental groups: (1) an informational fairness condition, (2) a social fairness condition, (3) an uncertainty reduction condition, and (4) a combined condition. In the first study, 256 retail employees were randomly assigned to one of the pre-test explanation conditions before completing a work sample test. Findings indicated higher perceptions of fairness for test-takers in the combined explanation group. In addition, the effects of the test explanations depended upon two contextual variables: test-takers’ level of perceived organizational support and the quality of leader-member exchange relationships with their supervisors. In the second study, the mechanisms underlying pre-test explanations were examined using an online sample of 269 working adults. Consistent with our conceptual framework, findings demonstrated that pre-test explanations had direct effects on transparency, respect, and reassurance. Taken together, these findings have implications for understanding the effects of pre-test explanations in organizational settings as well as the boundary conditions for their use.
KW - Explanations
KW - Fairness
KW - Leader-member exchange
KW - Perceived organizational support
KW - Personnel selection
KW - Test-taker reactions
KW - Test-taking attitudes
KW - Wise interventions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033442759&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.obhdp.2017.04.002
DO - 10.1016/j.obhdp.2017.04.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85033442759
SN - 0749-5978
VL - 141
SP - 43
EP - 56
JO - Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
JF - Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
ER -