Reconsidering the use of personality tests in personnel selection contexts

Document Information:
Title:	Reconsidering the use of personality tests in personnel selection contexts
Author(s):	Morgeson F P, Campion M A, Dipboye R L, Hollenbeck J R, Murphy K, Schmitt N
Journal:	Personnel Psychology, Autumn 2007, Volume: 60 Issue: 3 pp.683-729 (47 pages)
Issn:	0031-5826

Keywords:	Employees Behaviour, Individual Psychology, Personality Measurement, Personality Tests, Selection
Article type:	General review
DOI:	10.1111/j.1744-6570.2007.00089.x
Reference:	37AD177 (Permanent URL)
Abstract:	Purpose - To discuss the use of personality tests in industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology, specifically addressing the issue of fakability. Design/methodology/approach - Uses a panel comprising current and former editors of Personnel Psychology and the Journal of Applied Psychology to discuss the faking issue in personality testing. Asks opinions on, for example, how personality tests might be used in a more effective way, on the effect faking has in personality measurement, and on whether faking can be detected in personality tests. Findings - Reports, inter alia, that faking on self-report personality tests should be expected, and probably cannot be avoided; that faking may not always be bad, being job-related or socially adaptive in some situations; that corrections for faking do not appear to improve validity; and that some personality tests have very low validity for predicting overall job performance. Research limitations/implications - Indicates, among other things, that future research might focus on areas of the criterion domain that are likely to be more predictable by personality measures. Practical implications - Suggests, for example, that many published self-report personality tests should probably not be used for personnel selection. Originality/value - Draws opinions from very widely-read practitioners.