Situation Testing ST A New Methodology for Testing

Situation Testing (ST) A New Methodology for Testing Employment Discrimination of Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities Amir Tal, University of Haifa, Galia Moran, Boston University, Dan-olof Rooth, Kalmar University College, & Marc Bendick, B. & E. Economic Consultants Abstract: ST methodology can provide behavioural information about psychiatric-disabilities stigma and discrimination in the labour market Aim: A well established methodology called the Situation-Testing Methodology (Bendick, 2007) is suggested for people with psychiatric disabilities in order to scientifically assess the prevalence and hiring discrimination practices in real-life situations. Method: The Situation Testing procedure is a controlled experiment of real-life situations that analyses employers' candid responses to job applicant personal characteristics. Results: Two situation testing models for different levels of work capacities among persons with psychiatric disabilities. Indication of testable jobtypes and the use of ST in participatory action research context are suggested. Conclusion: ST methodology has potential to provide real-life scientific evidence about the extent and processes of discriminatory practices in the labour market. This knowledge can serve as basis for reducing stigma and discrimination and enhancing workforce participation of persons with psychiatric disabilities. Introduction: The ST methodology reveals what employers really do rather than what they say or believe they do • Work plays a central role in normal adult lives and is especially crucial for persons in recovery from psychiatric disorders: work is an opportunity to engage in "mainstream" employment enhances quality of life via increased economic well being, enhanced personal activity, social contacts, self-esteem, illness selfmanagement, and integration into the community. • However high unemployment rates are a serious and wide-ranging phenomenon for persons who are challenged by psychiatric disabilities hovering around 25% in various studies and always lowest in comparison to other disabled groups. • Survey research indicates that discrimination and stigma on behalf of employers substantially contribute to low rates of employment for persons with psychiatric disabilities. However, these studies are based on non-experimental designs using self report questionnaires identifying only indirect evidence of discrimination and subjective attitudes regarding stigma practices. Such results leave the question: what really happens between employers and psychiatrically disabled job applicants ? Unanswered. • The situation testing methodology is a controlled experiment design in real-life situations that analyzes employers' candid responses to employees' personal characteristics. It provides objective behavioral evidence of employers’ discrimination and stigma practices guaranteeing the validity of results and providing insights into what employers really do rather than what they say or believe they do. How is ST methodology used in general labor market discrimination research? ST operates by sending pairs of similar research assistants to apply for the same actual job vacancy. Within each pair, employee characteristics likely to be related to a worker’s productivity on the job (i. e. education, work experience, etc) are made equal by selecting, training, and credentialing testers to appear equally qualified for the positions they seek, leaving only the target characteristic being tested for discrimination (e. g. race/gender) to be different between them. First step (resumes): testers’ resumes are sent to employers who have advertised a job opening. Studies may include only this first step in their design, then called “the corresponding test”. Second step (interviews): two testers present themselves in person to employers to be interviewed. Additionally this stage may involve the possibility to audio-tape record the job interviews. This stage often reveals the subtle, implicit stereotypes underlying the way the interviewer interacts with the two applicants. If testers within these pairs experience substantially different responses to their job-seeking efforts, few assumptions are required to interpret that difference as the employers’ reaction to the one personal characteristic on which the testers differ. Situation Testing has highlighted real-life discrimination and impacted legislation for various discriminated populations Over the past decade, more than 30 situation testing studies have been conducted in the USA on race, gender, age, and other forms of discrimination in the labor market. This research has typically documented discriminatory behavior, conscious or unconscious, by 20% to 40% of employers. These findings have influenced public opinion and government policy by publicizing the continued prevalence of discrimination in a particularly persuasive way. They have also been used to change employers’ behavior through legal action, and they have added to our understanding of the psychological and organizational processes of discrimination. Expanded use of this investigative technique can contribute importantly toward addressing the serious problem of employment discrimination in industrial societies. Demographic Contrast Authors African American/European American Female/Males Old/Young Busey & Trasvina (2003) Pager & Western (2005) Neumark (1996) Nunes & Seligman (2000) Bendick, et al. (1996) Bendick, et al. , (1999) Tests completed 109 252 65 40 79 102 Location of jobs San Francisco, Los Angeles New York Philadelphia San Francisco nationwide Washington Source of job sample Industry lists Newspaper ads, job fairs Industry list News paper ads, industry lists News paper ads Method of application In-person Mailed resumes In-person Education in resumes 2 years of university Completedsecondary school Completed secondary school University graduates Restaurants Auto service shops Mixed sales, office, and professional Sales and managerial Occupation tested Employment agencies Mixed entry-level Interacting circumstances none Criminal record Restaurant price range none Cover letter strategy none Net rate of discrimination 31% 10% 40% 27%* 41% Notes: The net rate of discrimination is the success rate for the presumed disfavored group minus the success rate for the presumed favored group. Negative numbers mean that the presumed disfavored group had greater success than the presumed favored one. Rates are based on all tests initiated, including those where both applicants received a negative response at the first stage of applications. Rates marked * are incomplete measures based on only the first stages of the application process. Adapted from Bendick, 2007 Adapting situation testing for psychiatric disabilities discrimination assessment Limitations and ethical considerations regarding the use of ST methodology Ethical problem: ST involves a violation of an informed consent procedure and a dishonest approach to employers by supplying them with fictitious job applicant resumes and interviews. We propose A) two generic ST models, B) indicate relevant job types and C) suggest a PAR format for use within the field of mental health: Response to ethical problem: The ethical price of the employer is outweighed against the gain to society as a whole (Riach & Rich, 2004). The Work Accommodations Situation Testing model: this model involves persons who require and desire reasonable accommodations to their condition, such as are mandated under the ADA or similar laws in other nations. This Model allows to assess discrimination among different groups within disabled populations comparing persons with psychiatric disabilities to persons with other types of disabilities (e. g. physical handicap). The psychiatric condition will be disclosed as required by law in order to be entitled for work accommodations. Limitation: The interview stage of the situation testing requires relatively high levels of resources in training research assistants and sending them over and over again for job interviews (e. g. high cost of time and money). The Equal Work Productivity Situation Testing model: this model involves persons who do not need or are not interested in work accommodations. This model allows to assess hiring discrimination toward persons with a history of psychiatric disabilities that currently offer a work productivity level that is equal to other non-disabled persons in the labor market. The psychiatric condition will be revealed through the prior work experience as in a "consumer run job" where all employees cope with mental illness. Specific job variations a part-time job opening (e. g. , working evenings at a bar)/ work that requires relatively little interpersonal interaction (e. g. , library archive organization)/ work that involves low stress levels (e. g. , small scale house-gardening)/ a part-time clerical position matched with a parent applicant who is also looking for a part time in order to spare time to take care of her children. ST as Participatory Action Research ST methodology can be used with real job candidates seeking work. It can help them be exposed to more job offers and at the same time assess what kind of behavior patterns during the interview elicit more discrimination practices. Conclusions & implications for mental health field. 1 Situation testing methodology can provide direct objective scientific knowledge about employers discrimination against persons with psychiatric disabilities generating clear and convincing evidence that are controlled and objective yet possess vivid persuasive power with established academic results and anti-discrimination policy-making impact. . 2 In the field of mental health the ST methodology can provide rich and creative opporunities to test discrimination of job seekers with psychiatric disabilties in different types of jobs who are at different levels of recovery through the work accomodation model and the equal work productivity model. . 3 ST methodology can also be used as a Participatory Action Research, by using real job-seeking candidates. The candidates chances of finding a job may be enhanced and at the same time specific behavioral processes that increase or decrease stigmatic and discriminatory practices may be assessed. . 4 ST can serve as a basis for litigation of equal rights opportunities of persons with psychiatric Printed by disabilities. . 5 ST can provide unique insights into psychological and social processes that can be used to better prepare persons with psychiatric disabilities for job interviews and the hiring process