| Researchers have demonstrated that personality-based self-report tests are valid predictors of important organizational criteria including supervisory ratings of job performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, and training performance. However, there remains concern that the validity and utility of such tests may be compromised by intentional distortion, or faking, on the part of applicants. The present study examined both antecedents and consequences of applicant faking using a within-subjects design consisting of the completion of a personality-based selection test at two periods in time. The first administration of the test occurred when participants applied for employment and the second administration occurred under confidential conditions once applicants had been hired. The results indicate that faking is positively related to the extent to which individuals believe that others engage in faking in applicant contexts, but is unrelated to a number of other antecedents investigated. The results also suggest that applicant faking can result in changes in the rank-ordering of individuals. The results do not support a conclusion that faking erodes the criterion-related validity of personality-based tests, but the pattern of results suggests this may be a possibility. The results are discussed in terms of the limitations of the current study and future research directions. |
