AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN THE WORKPLACE: HOW DOES THE TIMING OF DISCLOSURE DECISIONS AFFECT INTERVIEW RATINGS?

Abstract

This study investigated the effect that timing of a job candidates disclosure of their autism spectrum disorder (ASD) status during an interview effects their interview ratings. A mock interview of an actor portraying symptoms of ASD was provided to 87 participants (50 men, 34 women). Three conditions were randomly assigned to participants regarding disclosure: early disclosure, late disclosure, and no disclosure. Participants then provided an overall response rating for each interview question, as well as a rating regarding their likelihood to hire the candidate being interviewed. This study found that participants in the early disclosure condition gave higher ratings than those in the late disclosure condition regarding likelihood to hire. This study also found that participants gave higher ratings in the no disclosure condition than those in the late disclosure condition regarding likelihood to hire. This study did not find any statistically significant effects for disclosure differences on the interview question ratings.