Self-assessment of interpersonal competency: Development and validation of a forced-choice method to minimize response distortion in job applicant contexts

A forced-choice self-assessment instrument intended to measure interpersonal competencies while minimizing response distortion was developed. Work activities related and unrelated to competency in the target job of customer service were matched on perceived difficulty to perform. Hypotheses were tested on a sample of undergraduate students (N = 569), half of whom completed the study measures under normal instructions and half under instructions to respond as if applying for a customer service job. Results showed that the forced-choice measure demonstrated convergence with other measures of the target competencies and was significantly less susceptible to distortion than a measure of general personality. The validity decay found in the personality test scores from the normal to the applicant condition was twice that observed for the forced-choice measure. In addition, meaningful relationships between the forced-choice competency scales and job performance were found. Implications for human resources management practices are discussed.