Abstract
The impact of response distortion (faking) on selection decisions was investigated. Participants (N = 224) completed the NEO-PI-R under instructions to “make the most favorable impression” and/or “answer honestly.” Those instructed to fake were often over-represented at the top of the score distributions as instructions to fake resulted in higher scores both between and within groups in a test–retest situation. There was significantly lower correspondence between participants’ honest scores and their faked scores as well as multiple instances where participants with unfavorable honest scores subsequently produced the most favorable scores when faking. Response distortion may remain a serious threat to the use of personality test scores in selection.
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Notes
In the original design of this study a manipulation was introduced, prior to Stage 2 testing, from which half the participants were presented a lecture on the five factor model and the other half were presented a lecture on legal issues in selection. It was hypothesized that information regarding the factors tested with the NEO-PI-R would better enable participants to fake. This hypothesis was not supported. While it was decided the most parsimonious way to present the results of Hypotheses 1A and 1B was to combine these two groups, only those who received the control lecture (on legal issues) were included in the analyses for Hypothesis 2, so groups were more closely equal in treatment and size.
While there is no statistically significant difference, the shift from a 3:1 ratio in favor of Group 1 at time 1 (at the 25% selection rate) to a ratio of less than 1.5:1 at time 2 favors the hypothesis.
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Philip Lewis workded on the preparation of this article while a Visiting Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.
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Winkelspecht, C., Lewis, P. & Thomas, A. Potential Effects of Faking on the NEO-PI-R: Willingness and Ability to Fake Changes Who Gets Hired in Simulated Selection Decisions. J Bus Psychol 21, 243–259 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-006-9027-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-006-9027-4