Gary N. Burns

The Good Judge Revisited: Individual Differences in the Accuracy of Personality Judgments

This study examined individual differences in the accuracy of personality judgments. Participants (N = 122) reviewed videotaped segments of 3 individuals responding to employment interview questions, judged the personality of the interviewees, and rated acquaintances who later completed self-report personality inventories. Participants also completed measures of general mental ability, personality, and dispositional intelligence (knowledge of how personality is related to behavior). Results indicated that dispositional intelligence was related to general mental ability(r = .43) and Openness to Experience (r = .33) and emerged as the best predictor of interview accuracy (r = .41), acquaintance accuracy (r = .42), and an accuracy composite (r = .52). In addition, the relationship between dispositional intelligence and acquaintance accuracy was moderated by Conscientiousness and Agreeableness with a stronger association being observed when elevation on these traits was high. Implications for occupational success and future research on individual differences related to inferential accuracy are discussed.

Methods of Measuring Faking Behavior

This article reviews different methods of measuring the extent that faking has distorted responses to a personality test. Based on the idea that faking causes shifts in the means and construct relationships, a three-factor framework is proposed for classifying such measures based on the data required for computation and the effect of faking that the measure is intended to gauge. Advantages and disadvantages for each method are discussed along with recommendations for measuring faking in research and practice.

Conscientiousness and Agreeableness as Moderators of the Relationship between Neuroticism and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: A Constructive Replication

Several previous studies examining the predictors of counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) have found positive relationships for neuroticism and negative relationships for conscientiousness and agreeableness. We extend this research by examining whether employee personality traits interact with each other to influence CWBs. Because conscientiousness and agreeableness may suppress ones tendency to engage in CWBs, we hypothesized that the neuroticism–CWB relationship will be weaker among workers who are high in either conscientiousness or agreeableness than among workers who are low in these traits. Data from three independent samples provide support for these hypothesized moderator effects.

Impact of electronic warnings on online personality scores and test-taker reactions in an applicant simulation

Electronic warnings produce changes in test responses in an applicant simulation.Impact of warnings on test responses varies with level of pre-warning distortion.Positively worded warnings can increase test taker motivation.Warnings reduced fairness perceptions among test-takers engaging in distortion. This study investigates the impact of different types of electronic warnings during a simulated job application assessment. Results indicated that negatively worded warnings and accusations worked better than positively worded warnings at blunting faking. Although there was some evidence that test-takers engaging in higher levels of faking heeded warnings more, warnings tended to decrease scores for all test-takers. While positive warnings motivated test-takers to perform well, negative warnings and accusations increased test-taking anxiety. Whereas past research has failed to find a relationship between warnings and perceived fairness, current results suggest that this relationship depends on the level of test-taker distortion.

Self‐Efficacy in the Workplace: Linking Personality to Domain‐Specific Efficacy Beliefs

Based on a social cognitive approach to personality, the role of domain‐specific efficacy beliefs were examined in two studies. Study 1 developed a measure of expectations about success in 10 different domains of common work activities with domain‐specific expectancy ratings obtained for 157 individuals along with self‐ and peer ratings of personality. Results showed that predictable relationships emerged, with the traits of the five‐factor model being important determinants of construct‐relevant efficacy beliefs. Study 2 focused on expectations about activities related to conscientiousness as a link between personality and performance across jobs. Results (N = 97) confirmed the proposed relationships and found that efficacy beliefs about trait‐relevant tasks functioned as a mediator linking conscientious and supervisor ratings of performance.

Productive and Counterproductive Attendance Behavior: An Examination of Early and Late Arrival to and Departure From Work

Although previous research has examined late arrival to and early departure from work, little is known about early arrival and late departure. Using data from 227 participants employed in a number of different organizations, the current study found that early arrival, late arrival, early departure, and late departure represent four distinct constructs. Furthermore, early arrival and late departure loaded onto the same second-order factor as organizational citizenship behaviors and late arrival and early departure loaded onto the same second-order factor as counterproductive work behaviors. Additional analyses found that Conscientiousness and job attitudes predicted significant variance in each of these attendance behaviors. We also collected qualitative data from a second sample (N = 176), which found that early employees generally spend their extra time at work engaging in work-related activities.

Criterion Validity of Complex Traits With Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Circumplex Versus Facet Traits

This study examined the criterion validity of factorially complex traits, specifically circumplex traits, in comparison to personality facets in explaining variance in interpersonally directed and organization-directed counterproductive work behavior (CWB-I and CWB-O). We examined whether circumplex traits’ explanation of unique variance was due to being narrower traits or a blend of multiple personality factors. We compared the Abridged Big Five Circumplex circumplexes and the Revised NEO Personality Inventory facets associated with Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Two hundred ninety-six student workers completed the study. Regression analysis supported our prediction that circumplex traits explain unique variance in CWB-Is and CWB-Os beyond that of personality facets. In addition, those personality facets with stronger relationships to the criteria had larger cross-loadings between personality domains.

Putting applicant faking effects on personality tests into context

Purpose Estimates of the effects of faking on personality scores typically represent the difference from one sample mean to another sample mean in terms of standard deviations. While this is technically accurate, it does put faking effects into the context of the individuals actually engaging in faking behavior. The purpose of this paper is to address this deficiency. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a mathematical proof and a computational simulation manipulating faking effect size, prevalence of faking, and the size of the applicant pool. Findings The paper illustrates that reported effects of faking are underestimates of the amount of faking that individual test takers are engaging in. Results provide researchers and practitioners with more accurate estimates of how to interpret faking effects sizes. Practical implications To understand the impact of faking on personality testing, it is important to consider both faking effect sizes as well as the prevalence of faking. Originality/value Researchers and practitioners do not often consider the real implications of faking effect sizes. The current paper presents those results in a new light.

Using item-level covariance to detect response distortion on personality measures

ABSTRACT The covariance index is a response validity scale created with the purpose of detecting intentional distortion in self-report measures. Based on evidence that strong response sets increase the covariance between responses, a method was developed to identify increased covariance at the individual level. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the validity of this new measure across laboratory and field settings. Results showed that individuals who scored higher on the covariance index in situations where strong response sets were present were those who had distorted responses the most and whose scores on personality measures had worse validity. In addition, the new validity scales improved identification of distorted responses beyond traditional social desirability scales.