Megan B. Morris

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.

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.

LGB and Heterosexual Federal Civilian Employee Differences in the Workplace.

This study examined differences in workplace perceptions between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual federal civilian workers across 4 important organizational attitudes: civility, supervisor support, psychological safety, and job satisfaction. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) All-Employee Survey (AES) provided archival data (years 2014 and 2015, n = 189,322 and n = 209,078, respectively). We first examined appropriateness of specific group comparisons using measurement invariance, a valuable but overlooked technique in past research examining LGB and heterosexual differences. Qualitative follow-up analyses of respondents’ open-text comments were also conducted. The quantitative results showed measurement invariance for some, but not all measures. Only the measures with evidence of invariance were included in subsequent pairwise-comparisons, which showed small but statistically significant differences between groups. The lack of invariance for several groups and measures cautions against comparing these populations without first ascertaining that measures used capture comparable views of the examined concepts.