Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between applicant anxiety and performance in selection interviews. The extant literature has yielded inconsistent findings; therefore, the Hunter and Schmidt meta-analysis technique was employed in order to integrate the findings of the research conducted to date. The analysis yielded a total of 19 independent samples and 25 effect sizes, total N = 2,980. It was found that anxiety was negatively related to interview performance and that the magnitude of this relationship was small. However, a moderator analysis indicated that the use of Frame-of-Reference effects in self-report anxiety questionnaires moderated the relationship between anxiety and interview performance increasing the magnitude of the relationship to moderate. No evidence was discovered to indicate that the scenario under which the interview took place was related to the relationship in question. Theoretical implications, practical considerations, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.