The Ability to Identify Criteria: Its Relationship with Social Understanding, Preparation, and Impression Management in Affecting Predictor Performance in a High-Stakes Selection Context

The ability to correctly identify the criteria (ATIC) that are being evaluated in a selection procedure is a relatively new construct attracting attention because of its significant relationship with performance in selection assessments and its potential for explaining their criterion validity. Multiple source data from 319 applicants undergoing a high-stakes medical student selection procedure were used to test a moderated mediation model that extends current understanding of the nomological net of this construct. Results show that ATIC fully mediated the relationship between interview preparation and performance, partially mediated the effect of social understanding on performance, and moderated the effect of impression management on performance. Findings are explained in terms of cognitive theories of cue recognition, and practical implications are discussed.