ORCID
0000-0001-8645-7906
Keywords
videoconferencing, virtual backgrounds, hiring, workplace selection, virtual interviews
Abstract
Videoconferencing allows users to manage their self-presentation through virtual backgrounds that mask their immediate physical environment. Prior research suggests that backgrounds depicting professional home spaces (e.g., bookshelves) elicit more favorable impressions than those that depict personal home spaces (e.g., bedrooms). Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT) provides a framework for understanding such effects. The present dissertation applied EVT to video-mediated selection interviews, that have become increasingly popular since the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the strict expectations for professionalism in interviews, virtual backgrounds that deviate from such expectations may negatively impact hiring decisions. Consequently, this work examined the impact of two virtual background types, bedroom and home office, on perceptions of job candidates. It also evaluated the moderating role of candidate qualifications, candidate gender, and participant gender. Study 1 established virtual background stimuli that were comparable on measures of prototypicality, environmental attributes (e.g., colorfulness and cleanliness), and memorability. Study 2 had participants view images of qualified or unqualified candidates using the bedroom or home office backgrounds and evaluate the candidate’s perceived competence, warmth, recommended salary, and hiring likelihood. Results indicated that while qualifications were the primary driver of candidate evaluations, the bedroom background negatively impacted unqualified candidates. Effects also varied by participant gender. Analysis revealed that the negative impact of the bedroom background on hiring outcomes was mediated by both warmth and competence, although through different mechanisms. This research advances understanding of expectancy violations in virtual environments and the role of virtual backgrounds on hiring perceptions. It also provides practical guidance for job seekers in selecting effective virtual backgrounds.
Completion Date
2025
Semester
Spring
Committee Chair
Hancock, Peter
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Psychology
Identifier
DP0029311
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Gruber, Mira, "The Impact of Virtual Backgrounds in Video-Mediated Selection and the Role of Candidate Qualifications" (2025). Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024. 143.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2024/143