Attributional Retraining, Self-Esteem, and the Job Interview: Benefits and Risks for College Student Employment

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of an attributional retraining program for helping upper-level undergraduates perform better in employment interviews as moderated by self-esteem levels. The sample consisted of 50 co-operative education students preparing for actual job interviews who were randomly assigned to an attributional retraining condition (controllable attribution focus) or control condition (communication skills focus). Dependent measures included interview-related attributions and actual interview performance. Results showed self-esteem to predict more adaptive attributions and better interview performance in the control group. Findings also demonstrated significant attributional retraining benefits for students with lower self-esteem on attributions and interview success. The authors found unanticipated negative treatment effects for students with higher self-esteem who reported more external attributions and performed substantially worse in employment interviews upon receiving attributional retraining. The authors discuss the implications concerning the risks of high self-esteem and possible improvements to attributional retraining techniques in employment settings.

Keywords:

• attributional retraining
• employment interview
• self-esteem

Acknowledgments

This study is based on master's thesis research conducted by the second author (now at the Human Resources Department, The Canadian Wheat Board) and was presented at the American Educational Research Association annual conference in San Diego, California, in April 2009. For more information on the Achievement Motivation and Emotion Research Group, visit www.ame1.net.

Notes

The negative effects of high self-esteem are observed predominantly among a particular subgroup of high self-esteem individuals who show considerable variability in self-esteem levels (“unstable” or “fragile” self-esteem; e.g., Kernis et al., 1993, 1997; Paradise & Kernis, 2002) or base their self-esteem on evaluative feedback (“defensive” or “contingent” self-esteem; e.g., Lobel & Tieber, 1994).

This suggestion is contradicted by studies showing self-esteem enhancement programs to negatively affect academic self-concept in adolescents (Wade, Davidson, & O’Dea, 2003) and academic performance in unsuccessful college students (Forsyth, Lawrence, Burnette, & Baumeister, 2007).