engleski

Determinants of faking on personality questionnaires in selection situations - A qualitative analysis of the responses of young highly educated candidates

Personality questionnaires are often used in selection, even though research clearly shows that candidates are capable of faking their responses. Since faking cannot be easily detected, a new line of research has started to investigate its determinants, by using correlational and quasi-experimental designs. However, there is a lack of qualitative designs, which could provide deeper insight into how candidates approach responding to personality questionnaires. The aim of this study was to examine the potential determinants of motivation to fake on personality questionnaires, by analyzing candidates’ implicit theories. We conducted in-depth interviews with eight highly educated young people with various experience in selection. The results revealed that candidates considered faking as a behavior useful in selection situations. They noted several important individual and contextual determinants, such as perceived discrepancy between their own and the ideal profile, need for the job, ability to fake, length of the questionnaire and warning that faking can be detected and followed by negative consequences. Based on the empirical results, an implicit model of faking personality tests in personnel selection is suggested. These findings have both theoretical implications, i.e. revealing some new potential determinants of faking behavior, and practical implications for reducing faking behavior in selection practice.

faking ; faking determinants ; personnel selection ; personality questionnaires ; qualitative methodology

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