Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
8-2024
Abstract
There is increasing attention to storification of assessments (i.e., embedding a storyline into a non-storified assessment) in research and practice and to gamified and game-based assessment in general. However, there is a surprising lack of agreement and of recommendations regarding what level of fantasy of the storyline one should choose for the storification from the perspective of applicant reactions. A distinction is typically made between fantasy (e.g., fighting aliens) and realistic (e.g., workday simulations) storylines, with both choices having their advantages and disadvantages. In this study, a sample of 195 participants was shown either a storified realistic test, a storified fantasy test, or a non-storified test. Afterwards, they rated various applicant reaction measures. Both storified assessments were rated equally positively on perceived modernity of the organization and enjoyment but the storified realistic test was superior to the storified fantasy test in terms of perceived job-relatedness, procedural fairness, organizational attractiveness, and clarity of work activity. Thus, the level of fantasy of a storyline in a storified assessment plays an important role for applicant reaction variables, whereby the overall pattern of results showed that the storified realistic test was rated most favorably, followed by the non-storified test, and the storified fantasy assessment.
Keywords
applicant reactions, gamification, Germany, job-relatedness, personnel psychology, personnel selection, storification, work and organizational psychology
Discipline
Industrial and Organizational Psychology | Organizational Behavior and Theory
Research Areas
Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources
Publication
Applied Psychology
First Page
1
Last Page
21
ISSN
0269-994X
Identifier
10.1111/apps.12569
Publisher
Wiley
Citation
OHLMS, Marie L.; MELCHERS, Klaus G.; and LIEVENS, Filip.
It's just a game! Effects of fantasy in a storified test on applicant reactions. (2024). Applied Psychology. 1-21.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/7523
Copyright Owner and License
Author-CC-BY
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12569
Included in
Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons