Faking and Selection: Considering the Use of Personality From Select-In and Select-Out Perspectives

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology 2003-04, Vol.88 (2), p.348-355
• Main Authors: Mueller-Hanson, Rose, Heggestad, Eric D, Thornton, George C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Achievement; Achievement Motivation; Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Choice Behavior; Effects; Error; Experiments; Faking; Female; Forecasts; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Humans; Incentives; Job Applicant Screening; Job applicants; Male; Measurement; Motivation; Occupational psychology; Orientation. Selection. Evaluation; Personality; Personality Inventory; Personality Measures; Personality tests; Personnel Selection; Psychological tests; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Random Allocation; Response bias; Selection; Studies; Test Validity; Validity
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854
• DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.88.2.348

The effects of faking on criterion-related validity and the quality of selection decisions are examined in the present study by combining the control of an experiment with the realism of an applicant setting. Participants completed an achievement motivation measure in either a control group or an incentive group and then completed a performance task. With respect to validity, greater prediction error was found in the incentive condition among those with scores at the high end of the predictor distribution. When selection ratios were small, those in the incentive condition were more likely to be selected and had lower mean performance than those in the control group. Implications for using personality assessments from select-in and select-out strategies are discussed.