ASSESSMENT CENTRE STUDY GROUP. 2010THE ROLE AND EFFECT OF UNCONSCIOUS DEFENSIVE

STRUCTURES IN ASSESSMENT CENTRES. A SYSTEMS

PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Frans Cilliers

Department of Industrial & Organisational Psychology

UNISA

PROBLEM STATEMENT

• AC paradigm, theory, technology focus on rational, observable, conscious behavior

• Realization: “more is going on” below the surface of conscious observation, of a defensive nature, influencing AC outcomes

• AC literature gives little access to these behaviors - in search for another paradigm

RESEARCH QUESTION

● What kind of defensive behaviours (or structures) could underlie AC observation which could influence assessment outcomes?

● How do these behaviours manifest in and influence our work as consultants and behavioural observers in AC?

RESEARCH AIM

• To describe the role and effect of unconscious defensive structures on assessment centre outcomes

RESEARCH PARADIGM

● Systems Psychodynamics

● Systemic psychoanalysis (Freud), object relations (Klein), systems thinking (Bertalanffy), Social systems as defense against anxiety (Menzies, Jaques)

● Depth psychology and organisational theory

● OD consultancy stance

THEORY

● Basic assumptions (Bion)

Dependency, fight/flight, pairing, me-ness, one-ness / we-ness

● Behavioral constructs

● CIBART (Cilliers & Koortzen)

Role, task, (anxiety), conflicts, authorisation, boundaries, identity

DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES

• System domain defensive structures (Bain)

• Social defenses (Menzies)

• Individual defenses (Freud, Blackman)

RESEARCH DESIGN

• Research approach

Qualitative, motivation, ontology, epistemology

• Research strategy

Multiple case studies to test theory

• Descriptive research

RESEARCH METHOD 1

• Research setting

Assessment centres. IOP Masters student applicants at UNISA over 4 years

• Entrée and researcher roles

Participant observer, analytical third

RESEARCH METHOD 2

• Sampling

Purposive sampling, 8 psychologists, in role of AC observers

• Data collection. In-depth interviews

Q1. Tell me about how you took up your role in the assessment centre

Q2. How did your own dynamics influence the AC outcomes

RESEARCH METHOD 3

• Recording of data

Procedure, 1 week after AC, recordings

• Data analysis

Discourse analysis, generating working hypotheses, themes and research hypothesis

• Ensuring quality data

Trustworthiness, ethics

FINDINGS 1. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

• Sentiments, attitudes, values

• Perceptions

Stereotypes (gender, race, age)

Halo effect, contrast effort, selectivity

Attribution (errors, biases)

Prejudices

FINDINGS 2. DEFENSES

• System domain defensive structures

• Social defenses / collusions

• Individual defenses

Splitting

Introjections, projection, projective identification

Transference, counter transference

FINDINGS 2. THEMES

• Individual dynamics influencing outcomes

• Intergroup dynamics influencing outcomes

• Diversity dynamics influencing outcomes

• Moving from subject-subject relations tot object-object relations

• Concern about the participant

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The objectivity of AC observation is affected by unconscious psychodynamics in the form of individual and intergroup defensive structures. The awareness about these behaviours causes observers to start thinking about who’s behaviour is assessed – the participant’s or the observer’s

LIMITATIONS

• Only psychologists as observers and psychology students as AC participants used as sample

• System domain and social defensive structures not yet explored in depth

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Training of AC observers should include awareness of systems psychodynamic behavior, its role and effect in observation

• Self-development (as AC dimension) should be a requisite for observers, with thy focus on their sensitivity towards how the observer role is taken up in terms of behavioral dynamics

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