Chapter 15

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Article 1: Lipovsky, C. (2008). Constructing affiliation and solidarity in job interviews. Discourse & Communication, 2(4), 411–432. doi:10.1177/1750481308095938

Questions that apply to this article:

1. Note where the author states that “a benefit for candidates of highlighting their passion and enthusiasm for their work is that it makes a new claim in their favour that was not apparent from their résumé or application.” In this section of the article, the author suggests that enthusiasm can be part of an applicant’s impression management. How would you use enthusiasm in managing the impression you want an interviewer to have of you?
2. Locate where the author discusses a study that “outlined the part played by establishing co-membership in successful interviews, and showed that the closer the participants in co-membership, the less important barriers in communication are going to be.” How does one go about establishing co-membership in an interview? How does this relate to the discussion in your textbook on pre-interview responsibilities?
3. Read the article conclusion about interviewees connecting with interviewers. How do you view the benefits of working to connect with an interviewer? If you were the interviewer, would you work to connect with an interviewee?

Article 2:  Hebl, M. R., King, E. B., Hebl, M. R., & King, E. B. (2004).  You Are What You Wear : An Interactive Demonstration of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. Teaching of Psychology, 31(4): 260-262.  doi:10.1207/s15328023top3104

Questions that apply to this article:

1. Identify the authors’ note that classic investigations of the self-fulfilling prophecy illustrate its potency. Duck and McMahan write about self-fulfilling prophecy and the job interview. How does their writing support the notion (or vice versa) that applying self-fulfilling prophecy to a job interview can have a positive impact on the interviewee?
2. The authors suggest in the discussion section that “this demonstration provides a powerful tool with which teachers of multiple areas of psychology can enhance students’ understanding of the self-fulfilling prophecy.” Do some people learn better by watching and engaging in a demonstration than by reading about a concept? Do others comprehend more when they read about that concept?
3. This article is far shorter than many journal articles. This is largely due to the nature of the method used in the study. How can the simplicity and brevity of this article lead to our greater understanding of the self-fulfilling prophecy?