Graduation Year

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Psychology

Major Professor

Wendy L. Bedwell, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Walter Borman, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Doug Rohrer, Ph.D.

Committee Member

James K. Summers, Ph.D.

Keywords

personality, measurement, response distortion, validity

Abstract

One of the fundamental underlying assumptions of selection procedures is that the information gathered from applicants is accurate, and thus, will predict performance on the job (Donovan, Dwight, & Schneider, 2014; Schmitt & Sinha, 2011). As self-report instruments such as paper-and-pencil tests and unsupervised online surveys become more prevalent in organizational selection contexts (Truxillo & Bauer, 2011) due to ease of use and cost efficiency, the concern of applicants faking responses to inaccurately portray themselves as more highly desirable is increasingly critical (Hough, Oswald, & Ployhart, 2001). Depending on the exact magnitude of the particular selection event, this compromise of validity may cost an organization just as much as they stand to gain from an accurate self-report selection tool. The aim of this study is to test the viability of a video game platform designed to aid personnel selection by reducing faking. This thesis first outlines the most widely assessed predictors of job performance and briefly review the state-of-the-science of personality research in the context of employee selection. Then, a review of faking, drawing upon a model of faking proposed by McFarland & Ryan (2000), describes the impact it has on employee selection based on personality tests. Drawing upon Malone’s (1981) theory of intrinsic motivation as well as Sweller’s (1994) theory of cognitive load, I proposed the use of a video game platform as a counter-measure to faking selection assessments. Results suggest that participants are less able to fake personality assessments when assessed via video games as compared to online surveys.

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