Applicant ghosting occurs when an applicant abruptly ceases communication and withdraws from the hiring process without warning (Karl et al., 2021). As ghosting becomes increasingly normative in job searches, it is important to understand what individual differences may predict this behavior. Despite its practical relevance, empirical research on applicant ghosting remains limited. In this study, I examined whether positive affectivity (PA), negative affectivity (NA), and risk propensity (RP) predict applicant ghosting behavior, and whether ghosting attitudes moderate these relationships. Active U.S. job seekers were recruited through Prolific Academic and completed surveys across two time points separated by two weeks (N = 325 at Time 1; 263 at Time 2). Time 1 measured PA, NA, RP, applicant ghosting attitudes, and control variables; Time 2 measured applicant ghosting behavior. Contrary to predictions, PA, NA, and RP did not significantly predict applicant ghosting behavior. Additionally, applicant ghosting attitudes did not significantly moderate the relationships between NA or RP and applicant ghosting behavior. Unexpectedly, favorable ghosting attitudes strengthened the negative relationship between PA and applicant ghosting behavior. Additionally, in a post hoc analysis, I measured problem gambling behavior and found that it had a positive correlation with applicant ghosting behavior. Finally, the base rate of ghosting behavior was 75%, yet the mean for ghosting attitudes was low (M = 1.53), suggesting that although individuals morally disapprove of ghosting, many still engage in it.
