Julie McCarthy | University of Toronto (original) (raw)

Papers by Julie McCarthy

Psychological Science, 2011

Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 2013

Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2013

International Public Management Journal, 2012

In this article, we draw from Conservation of Resources Theory to advance and test a framework wh... more In this article, we draw from Conservation of Resources Theory to advance and test a framework which
predicts that emotional exhaustion plays an explanatory role underlying the relation between workplace
anxiety and job performance. Further, we draw from social exchange theories to predict that leader–
member exchange and coworker exchange will mitigate the harmful effects of anxiety on job performance.
Findings across a 3-wave study of police officers supported our model. Emotional exhaustion
mediated the link between workplace anxiety and job performance, over and above the effect of cognitive
interference. Further, coworker exchange mitigated the positive relation between anxiety and emotional
exhaustion, while leader–member exchange mitigated the negative relation between emotional exhaustion
and job performance. This study elucidates the effects of workplace anxiety on resource depletion
via emotional exhaustion and highlights the value of drawing on social resources to offset the potentially
harmful effects of workplace anxiety on job performance.

Journal of Applied Psychology, 2013

A multidimensional measure of interview anxiety, called the Measure of Anxiety in Selection Inter... more A multidimensional measure of interview anxiety, called the Measure of Anxiety in Selection Interviews (MASI), was developed using a student sample (N= 212) and tested using a sample of job applicants in a field setting (N= 276). The MASI goes beyond the measurement of “weak knees” and “sweaty palms” by providing an assessment of 5 interview anxiety dimensions: Communication, Appearance, Social, Performance, and Behavioral. The psychometric properties of the scales were strong and confirmatory factor analyses supported the a priori structure. In addition, substantial evidence for the concurrent, discriminant, criterion-related, and incremental validity of the MASI was obtained. Moreover, a multiple correlation of .34 was found for the 5 MASI scales in the prediction of interview performance. The development of the MASI has important implications for the field, as it may provide the foundation for future research on job interview anxiety, guide interview anxiety treatment programs, and promote the enhancement of job interview validity.

This study examines the extent to which highly structured job interviews are resistant to demogra... more This study examines the extent to which highly structured job interviews are resistant to demographic similarity effects. The sample comprised nearly 20,000 applicants for a managerial-level position in a large organization. Findings were unequivocal: Main effects of applicant gender and race were not associated with interviewers’ ratings of applicant performance nor was applicant–interviewer similarity with regard to gender and race. These findings address past inconsistencies in research on demographic similarity effects in employment interviews and demonstrate the value of using highly structured interviews to minimize the potential influence of applicant demographic characteristics on selection
decisions.

Although letters of recommendation (LORS) are widely used, little research has examined how accur... more Although letters of recommendation (LORS) are widely used, little research has examined how accurately they predict job performance. This investigation was designed to improve predictive validity by developing a standardized reference form and evaluating 3 different rating formats: Multi-Item scales, Relative Percentile Method (RPM) scales, and Global Trait Rankings. A total of 520 individuals (aged 17-41 yrs) applied to the Canadian military, and 544 LORs were obtained. Complete predictor and criterion data were available for 57 participants. Regression analyses indicated that the validity of the RPM rating format was substantially higher than previous estimates of LOR validity.

The current research investigated questions that persist regarding the criterion-related and cons... more The current research investigated questions that persist regarding the criterion-related and construct validity of situational (SI) versus past-behaviour (PBI) structured interview formats in predicting the job performance of managers. Analyses of data collected from 157 applicants to managerial positions showed that the PBI format significantly predicted job performance ratings (r = .32, p <.01), whereas the SI format did not (r = .09, ns). Investigation of potential construct differences between the SI and PBI formats showed that the PBI was more highly related to manager-relevant cognitive ability measures, assessment centre exercises and personality traits, as compared with the SI. Such differences help to explain the predictive validity differences between the SI and PBI observed in current and previous research.

Balancing multiple roles is a challenge for individuals in many sectors of the population. The pu... more Balancing multiple roles is a challenge for individuals in many sectors of the population. The purpose of
this study was to test the hypothesis that individuals have dispositional tendencies to experience interrole
conflict and facilitation. We also aimed to show that coping styles and life satisfaction are correlates of
dispositional conflict and facilitation tendencies. Two survey studies were conducted with individuals
involved in 3 life roles (i.e., employee, student, and family member; Study 1: N 193; Study 2: N
284). The hierarchical structure of conflict and facilitation was examined in both studies. Support for the
dispositional model was found in both cases through the use of hierarchical confirmatory factor analyses.
In Study 2, a longitudinal assessment of the nomological network surrounding conflict and facilitation
tendencies was conducted with structural equation modeling analyses; we found that coping styles had
synchronous relations with dispositional conflict and facilitation; dispositional conflict had a lagged and
negative relation with life satisfaction.

International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 2005

Personnel Psychology, 2009

Journal of Business and Psychology, 2006

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1997