Evaluating Letters of Reference: The Effect of Rater’s Implicit and Explicit Attitudes and Organizational Interventions

Katie B. Elder

Advisor: Jose M Cortina, PhD, CHSSWeb Design Preview

Committee Members: Eden King, David Kravitz

March 02, 2012, 10:00 AM to 08:00 AM

Abstract:

Despite the wide usage of letters of reference (LORs) as a tool for personnel selection, little research
has been devoted to examining how bias may emerge due to applicant characteristics (i.e., race, gender). The current study examines explicit sexism and implicit sexism as influences on evaluations of LOR. It then proposes accountability processes as mechanisms to mitigate the influence of rater characteristics, thereby reducing the emergence of bias. In a laboratory experiment, undergraduates (N=212) rated two letters of recommendation under varying levels of accountability and completed the Sexist Attitudes Toward Women (SATWS) scale and an implicit association test. The results did not support the hypotheses, but the data did show that explicit sexism was associated with ratings of candidate hireability and that elaboration reduced its effect on ratings.