Self Assessment, Realistic Job Previews and Occupational Decisions

Most recent reviews of the value of self assessments in industrial and organisational settings conclude that there is little to recommend their use. Major criticisms concern the excessive leniency apparent in self assessments and their poor accuracy. This article reconsiders the available literature. With respect to leniency, it is suggested that leniency is common to all ratings, that there are individual differences in leniency and that degree of leniency is influenced by perceived consequences to the assessor. It is also argued that accuracy may be influenced by both the purpose of the assessment and the extent to which the assessment is based on immediate experience rather than recalled, hypothetical or vicarious experience. Ways in which self assessments might be effectively used are suggested and the conclusions and evidence are discussed within the context of a four‐component framework for the self assessment process.