Influence of physical disability and dress of female job applicants on interviewers

The purpose of this research was to examine the influence of dress and physical condition on employers’ impressions of female job applicants. A dress (most appropriate, moderately appropriate, and inappropriate for an entry level management position) by physical condition (able-bodied, on crutches, in a wheelchair) by applicantfactorial design was used to determine employers’perceptions of the applicants. Videotapes of a female applicant in a simulated job interview situation served as the stimulus. Subjects rated the applicants on 22 employment characteristics. Factor analysis yielded four factors: Personality, Power, Competence, and Professionalism. Subjects also rated the applicants on six statements which were combined to become management potential. Analysis of variance revealed that the applicants were rated significantly higher when dressed in the most appropriate and moderately appropriate levels than when dressed inappropriately for all dependent measures. Employers also rated the applicants in the disabled conditions significantly higher than the able-bodied applicant for all dependent measures. Results were interpreted from the perspective of impression formation theory, particularly the way in which individuals combine various cues to arrive at an impression of an observed person. Implications pertain to rehabilitation personnel and clothing designers. Widespread discrimination against people with disabili-ties severely restricts their employment opportunities in the general labor market (Deeghan & Brooks, 1985). Unfortun-ately, when a physical disability is considered in the hiring process, it most often operates as a negative factor, a reason not to hire someone. Because a physical disability is inconsistent with society’s norms for physical beauty, its presence often creates strained interaction between people with disabilities and the nondisabled. Strained and uncomfortable social interaction may lead to the formation of negative impressions of individuals with disabilitie