UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION IN THE EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW - LEGAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL-ASPECTS

Reviews the psychological and legal literature concerning evidence of bias or unfairness in the employment interview with regard to Blacks, females, handicapped persons, and the elderly. This review indicates that (a) the interview is highly vulnerable to legal attack, and one can expect more litigation in this area; (b) the mechanisms and processes that contribute to bias in the interview are not well specified by researchers; (c) findings based predominantly on resume research show that females tend to receive lower evaluations than males, but this varies as a function of job and other situational characteristics; (d) little evidence exists to confirm the notion that Blacks are evaluated unfairly in interview contexts; (e) a relative dearth of research exists investigating interview bias against the elderly and handicapped individuals; and (f) evidence concerning the differential validity of the interview for these minority and nonminority groups is virtually nonexistent. A number of research needs and directions are specified. (79 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.