How good are you at judging people? A job-interview EEG study

We are interested in how the brain forms first impressions of other people during job interviews, and how attention and the body's responses relate to the judgements we make. Taking part helps us understand the split-second social judgements people make every day.

The session takes about 2 hours, including setup, in Room 308 of the Science Centre (Building 301, 23 Symonds Street, City Campus). You will watch a series of short video clips of people in job interviews and answer some quick questions about how each person came across and how you felt while watching. During the session you will wear an EEG cap that records brain activity, along with small sensors that record breathing and heart rate. There is nothing to prepare, and there are no right or wrong answers.

Please note the EEG setup uses gel in the hair, so you may prefer to come with clean, dry hair. A shower, towels and shampoo are provided to rinse off afterwards. We also ask that you avoid caffeine and alcohol for at least 3 hours beforehand.

• Aged 18 to 39
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• Fluent in English
• No history of cardiac or neurological conditions
• No pacemaker, metal plates, or cranial implants (these prevent EEG recording)

Please see the Participation information sheet (PIS) below for a full list of exclusions.

$20 Woolworths voucher

If you would like to know more about this study or to apply, we would love to hear from you:

Andreia Valente
PhD candidate
Email: aval430@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Recruitment ends: 30th September 2026