Comparing behavioral cues of self- versus other-assessed authenticity using automated video interviews

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Authenticity at work is a growing area of interest for researchers and practitioners.
• However, defining and measuring authenticity remains challenging.
• Existing methods lack empirical, behavioral indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically identify behavioral cues of authenticity using automated video interviews (AVIs).
• To examine differences in behavioral cues between self- and other-evaluations of authenticity.
• To explore the implications of these findings in professional contexts.

Main Methods:

• Utilized automated video interviews (AVIs) to record mock job interviews.
• Analyzed linguistic features of speech (e.g., word choice, tense, speech rate).
• Compared behavioral cues associated with self-assessed authenticity versus interviewer-assessed authenticity.

Main Results:

• Self-assessed authenticity linked to first-person singular, present tense, less planned, less filtered, and informal speech.
• Interviewer-assessed authenticity linked to higher word count, faster speech rate, fewer complex words, and fewer adverbs.
• Fewer words per sentence correlated with both self- and interviewer-assessed authenticity.
• No significant nonverbal or paraverbal cues for authenticity were identified.

Conclusions:

• Automated video interviews offer a novel, technology-driven approach to assessing authenticity.
• Distinct verbal behavioral cues differentiate self-perception from external evaluation of authenticity.
• Findings provide practical insights for understanding and evaluating authenticity in workplace settings.