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Originalia

Persönlichkeitstests in der Personalauswahl:

Published Online:April 15, 2015https://doi.org/10.1026//0044-3409.211.3.138

Abstract

Zusammenfassung. Die - vielfach belegte - Tatsache, dass Testpersonen in der Lage sind, ihre Ergebnisse in nicht leistungsbezogenen Testverfahren in Richtung sozialer Erwünschtheit zu erhöhen, wenn sie entsprechend instruiert werden, wird häufig als Begründung für die Empfehlung angeführt, auf den Einsatz von Persönlichkeitstests in der Personalauswahl generell zu verzichten. In dem Beitrag wird aufgezeigt, dass (a) dieser Schluss logisch falsch ist, (b) die empirische Befundlage nicht für eine Beeinträchtigung der Validität von Persönlichkeitstests durch “soziale Erwünschtheit“ spricht, (c) bei der Interpretation der Folgen von “faking“ oder “impression management“ eine sehr viel differenziertere Betrachtung der Implikationen theoretischer Überlegungen und empirischer Befunde notwendig ist sowie (d) die besonderen Anregungsbedingungen einer Bewerbungssituation sogar genutzt werden können, um die kriterienbezogene Validität von Persönlichkeitstests zu verbessern. Eine alternative Sichtweise der Selbstdarstellung in Persönlichkeitstests in Auswahlsituationen wird vorgestellt und es wird diskutiert, welche möglichen Folgen sich aus den Komponenten der Fähigkeit und Motivation zur Selbstdarstellung ergeben, die zusammen die Ergebnisse in Persönlichkeitstests determinieren.


Personality testing in personnel selection: Is “socially desirable” responding really undesirable?

Abstract. There is unequivocal evidence that test-takers are able to deliberately alter their scores on non-cognitive measures if instructed to do so. Based on this result, many scholars of personality have recommended to refrain from using personality tests for personnel selection. In the present paper, potential arguments in favor of this position are critically examined. It is concluded that (1) these arguments are logically erroneous, (2) empirical evidence showing a negative impact of “social desirability” on criterion-related validity of personality testing for personnel selection is virtually non-existent, (3) the consequences of “faking” or “impression management” for personnel selection are much too complex to justify labelling them as “response bias”, and (4) the validity of personality tests may even benefit from the motivational conditions of a selection situation. An alternative conception of self-presentation in assessment for personnel selection is presented and the implications of distinct determinants of individual personality test scores (ability to identify social expectations, motivation to adapt to these expectations) for validity are discussed.

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