Abstract
Self-report personality questionnaires, traditionally offered in a graded-scale format, are widely used in high-stakes contexts such as job selection. However, job applicants may intentionally distort their answers when filling in these questionnaires, undermining the validity of the test results. Forced-choice questionnaires are allegedly more resistant to intentional distortion compared to graded-scale questionnaires, but they generate ipsative data. Ipsativity violates the assumptions of classical test theory, distorting the reliability and construct validity of the scales, and producing interdependencies among the scores. This limitation is overcome in the current study by using the recently developed Thurstonian item response theory model. As online testing in job selection contexts is increasing, the focus will be on the impact of intentional distortion on personality questionnaire data collected online. The present study intends to examine the effect of three different variables on intentional distortion: (a) test format (graded-scale versus forced-choice); (b) culture, as data will be collected in three countries differing in their attitudes toward intentional distortion (the United Kingdom, Serbia, and Turkey); and (c) cognitive ability, as a possible predictor of the ability to choose the more desirable responses. Furthermore, we aim to integrate the findings using a comprehensive model of intentional distortion. In the Anticipated Results section, three main aspects are considered: (a) the limitations of the manipulation, theoretical approach, and analyses employed; (b) practical implications for job selection and for personality assessment in a broader sense; and (c) suggestions for further research.
Highlights
Self-report personality questionnaires are increasingly popular in high-stakes contexts such as personnel selection (Rothstein and Goffin, 2006), college admissions (Sjöberg, 2015), and determining eligibility to stand trial (Archer et al, 2006)
Intentional distortion is detrimental to the psychometric properties of the assessment instrument, hiring decisions, and the utility of whole-job selection systems (Donovan et al, 2014), human resources practitioners are largely unaware of the implications (Rothstein and Goffin, 2006)
The aim of our study is twofold: (a) to present an integrated view of intentional distortion formulated on sound theoretical underpinnings and (b) to reduce the effects of intentional distortion on personality assessment in high-stakes contexts by testing a viable method of scoring forced-choice questionnaires that can overcome earlier difficulties in their use
Summary
Self-report personality questionnaires are increasingly popular in high-stakes contexts such as personnel selection (Rothstein and Goffin, 2006), college admissions (Sjöberg, 2015), and determining eligibility to stand trial (Archer et al, 2006) In these situations, instead of answering honestly, test takers often intentionally distort their answers to increase their chances of being hired (Birkeland et al, 2006). The opposite argument, is based on seeing intentional distortion as a type of intelligence, mostly related to social or emotional intelligence, which consists of the ability to correctly read and interpret cues in social situations This ability allows test takers to identify correctly the meaning of the test items and the desirable characteristics for the job in question, and later on will help them perform better at their job, especially if it involves social interactions (Kleinmann et al, 2011). In this view, the influence of intentional distortion on the personality test leads to an equal or increased predictive validity of the test
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