Romantic Priming Effects on the Social Desirability and Hireability of Self-Promoting Women

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of romantic and intelligence priming on the social-desirability and hireability of self-promoting and communal female job applicants. Participants were first primed with either romantic or intelligence related images and then asked to evaluate the social-desirability and hireability of three female job applicants. These job applicants were self-promoting and competent, communal and competent, or communal and not competent. After rating the job applicants, participants were reprimed and asked to complete a scale measuring career aspiration. Results revealed that participants rated the self-promoting applicant as more hirable than the communal applicants. In contrast, the communal and competent applicant was rated more socially desirable than the self-promoting applicant. No effect of priming on participants’ career aspiration or applicants’ social-desirability or hireability was found. However, there was a marginally significant relationship between participant gender and first choice to hire.