What Would You Do—Really or Ideally? Constructs Underlying the Behavior Description Interview and the Situational Interview in Predicting Typical Versus Maximum Performance

Abstract

A predictive validation study was conducted to determine the extent to which the behavior description (BDI) and situational (SI) interviews predict typical versus maximum performance. Incoming MBA-students (n = 79) were interviewed regarding teamplaying behavior. Four months later, peers within study groups anonymously evaluated each person's typical teamplaying behavior, whereas other peers within project groups anonymously evaluated each person's maximum teamplaying behavior. Both the BDI and the SI predicted typical performance. The SI also predicted maximum performance. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.