Effect of job applicant faking and cognitive ability on self‐other agreement and criterion validity of personality assessments. (28th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wood, Joshua K.; Anglim, Jeromy; Horwood, Sharon
• Is Part Of: International journal of selection and assessment. Volume 30:Number 3(2022)
• Page Start: 378
• Page End: 391
• Publication Date: 2022-03-28
• Subjects: Big Five -- faking -- job applicant -- other‐ratings -- personality -- response distortion -- social desirability; Employee selection -- Periodicals; Personality and occupation -- Periodicals; Employment interviewing -- Periodicals; Prediction of occupational success -- Periodicals; Employees -- Rating of -- Periodicals; 658.3112
• DOI: 10.1111/ijsa.12382
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-075X

Abstract

Abstract: This study examined the effect of job applicant faking on the validity of personality assessments, including self‐other correlations, criterion validity, and cognitive ability correlates. By using a large sample, multiple other‐raters, a repeated‐measures design, and a realistic simulated job application, it sought to provide the most precise estimates to date of the effect of the applicant context on self‐other correlations, as well as the influence of cognitive ability on faking. Undergraduate psychology students ( n = 584) completed a measure of Big Five personality (i.e., International Personality Item Pool NEO) in both a low‐stakes and a simulated job applicant context. Participants completed measures of intelligence (i.e., International Cognitive Ability Resource) and personality‐relevant objective criteria (e.g., university grades), and had an average of 3 other raters rate their personality ( n = 1831). Responses to the Big Five scales were more socially desirable in the applicant context (average d = 0.58), with notable decreases in reported Neuroticism and increases in Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Extraversion. Average self‐other correlations declined by 24% from .59 in the low‐stakes to .45 in the applicant context. Cognitive ability was positively correlated with magnitude of faking. In the applicant context, criterion validities declined minimally. Results suggest response distortion by job applicants results in modest reductions in the accuracy and criterion validity of personality assessments. Practitioner points: Five hundred and eighty‐four participants completed a personality measure in both low‐stakes and applicant contexts Participants also had three others rate them on the same personality measure Responses were more socially desirable in the applicant context Self‐other correlations decreased by 24% in the applicant context Criterion validity decreased slightly in the applicant context Cognitive ability was correlated with magnitude of faking