ERIC Number: EJ966149
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Mar
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9010
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Intentional Response Distortion on Personality Tests: Using Eye-Tracking to Understand Response Processes when Faking
van Hooft, Edwin A. J.; Born, Marise Ph.
Journal of Applied Psychology, v97 n2 p301-316 Mar 2012
Intentional response distortion or faking among job applicants completing measures such as personality and integrity tests is a concern in personnel selection. The present study aimed to investigate whether eye-tracking technology can improve our understanding of the response process when faking. In an experimental within-participants design, a Big Five personality test and an integrity measure were administered to 129 university students in 2 conditions: a respond honestly and a faking good instruction. Item responses, response latencies, and eye movements were measured. Results demonstrated that all personality dimensions were fakeable. In support of the theoretical position that faking involves a less cognitively demanding process than responding honestly, we found that response times were on average 0.25 s slower and participants had less eye fixations in the fake good condition. However, in the fake good condition, participants had more fixations on the 2 extreme response options of the 5-point answering scale, and they fixated on these more directly after having read the question. These findings support the idea that faking leads to semantic rather than self-referenced item interpretations. Eye-tracking was demonstrated to be potentially useful in detecting faking behavior, improving detecting rates over and beyond response extremity and latency metrics. (Contains 5 tables and 4 figures.)
Descriptors: Job Applicants, Semantics, Eye Movements, Response Style (Tests), Personnel Selection, Metric System, Integrity, Personality, Personality Measures, Human Body, Higher Education, Feedback (Response), Identification, Ethics, Computer Assisted Testing
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org/publications
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A