Validation of a performance measure of broad interpersonal accuracy

Abstract

Accurately reading others’ emotions, personality, intentions etc. (interpersonal accuracy, IPA) is crucial to successful interpersonal interactions. However, most existing tests to measure IPA focus on people’s ability to recognize emotions and do not specifically target the workplace. The newly developed WIPS (Workplace Interpersonal Perception Skill) test assesses multiple aspects of interpersonal accuracy using brief video segments for which test-takers are asked to assess personality, intentions, future social behavior, thoughts, situational affect and social attributes of the targets in the video. Different criteria such as actual behavior shown were used to establish the correct answers in multiple-choice questions. Seven studies that subsequently tested the psychometric properties of a large item pool in English, French, and German are presented. The WIPS is unidimensional, shows acceptable internal consistency, and correlates in expected ways with emotion recognition, personality judgment accuracy, and a variety of other measures. Higher WIPS scores also predicted membership as well as leadership in student groups (e.g., in volunteer and music-oriented groups). These results contribute to the integration of various research strands under the broader IPA construct. The WIPS also complements existing, more specific tests and represents a useful tool for research and practice in the organizational field and beyond.