The Influence of Situational Factors on Interview Anxiety

Abstract

This study sought to determine whether two situational factors within a job interview could impact applicant interview anxiety. More specifically, the study investigated whether providing interview questions to applicants before officially beginning the interview or attempting to mimic a feelings elicited from rapport building using a script could reduce applicant interview anxiety. We also investigated whether applicants’ intolerance of uncertainty would moderate the relation between question provision and interview anxiety. After conducting real selection interviews for a research assistant position, applicants (N = 205) completed a questionnaire asking about their interview anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty. Ultimately, our hypotheses were not supported, as interview anxiety did not differ across conditions and intolerance of uncertainty did not moderate the relation between question provision and interview anxiety. Thus, we did not find any evidence to suggest that the situational factors we identified have an impact on interview anxiety.