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Review of Research on Age Discrimination in the Employment Interview

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Abstract

This paper reviews the research literature on age discrimination in the employment interview and related contexts. Twenty one studies were identified which explored whether age discrimination occurs within the context of the employment interview since the Age Discrimination in Employment Act was put into law. Sixteen studies were conducted in laboratory settings. It was concluded that evidence of age discrimination in the employment interview is commonly observed in laboratory studies which do not assess the influence of other job-relevant characteristics. Laboratory studies may create too much artificiality, where the impact of qualifications is artificially minimized and the impact of irrelevant factors like age are maximized. Only 5 of the 21 studies were conducted in the field, but they found far less consequential age discrimination in the employment interview.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management, Michigan State University, N475 North Business Complex, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1122, USA

    Frederick P. Morgeson

  2. Reider Research, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Matthew H. Reider

  3. Krannert School of Management, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Michael A. Campion & Rebecca A. Bull

Authors
  1. Frederick P. Morgeson
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  2. Matthew H. Reider
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  3. Michael A. Campion
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  4. Rebecca A. Bull
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Correspondence to Frederick P. Morgeson.

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Morgeson, F.P., Reider, M.H., Campion, M.A. et al. Review of Research on Age Discrimination in the Employment Interview. J Bus Psychol 22, 223–232 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-008-9066-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-008-9066-0

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