Beyond Behaviors: The Role of Perception in Social Skills Reputation

This dissertation explores the perception of social skills in structured virtual interviews, with a focus on how verbal, nonverbal, and vocal signals influence Social Skills Perception (SSP). The study explores the impact of specific behaviors on observers' perceptions of social skills and why particular behaviors are associated with low social skills perception scores. A central finding is the "just right" effect, which reveals that both excessive and insufficient displays of certain behaviors can negatively affect SSP, emphasizing the importance of balanced social skills demonstration in structured interviews. The findings contribute to social skills literature by building on the Heggestad et al. (2023) Social Skills Framework and highlight the complex dynamics of SSP in professional settings, particularly in structured interviews. This study suggests that such interviews might not fully capture exceptional social skills, offering insights into interview practices and evaluating social competencies in the workplace. Future research is encouraged to explore SSP across various contexts and cultures to deepen our understanding of these phenomena.