Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Interpersonal Dynamics In Assessment Center Exercises: Effects Of Role Player Portrayed Disposition, Tom Oliver, Peter Hausdorf, Filip Lievens, Peter Conlon

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Although interpersonal interactions are the mainstay of many assessment center exercises, little is known about how these interactions unfold and affect participant behavior and performance. More specifically, participants interact with role players who have been instructed to demonstrate behavior reflecting specific dispositions as part of the exercise. This study focuses on role player portrayed disposition as a potentially important social demand relevant to participant behavior and performance in interpersonal simulations. We integrate interpersonal theory and trait activation theory to formulate hypotheses about the effects of role player portrayed disposition on participant behavior and performance in 184 interpersonal simulations. A significant …