Using Personality Measures for Selection Decisions: Predictive Utility and Applicants' Faking Behaviour (Thesis)

Abstract

Aim of this publication-based dissertation was to scrutinize the use of personality measures for selection decisions. This was done in three studies examining personality measures used for selection decisions to teacher education. First, Study 1 evaluated the predictive utility of personality measures for differentiated facets of academic achievement. In accordance with a large body of research, personality measures retained their predictive utility over and above other determinants of academic achievement. With Study 1 supporting the usefulness of personality measures for predicting future academic achievement in the academic field examined, Study 2 then addressed the prevalence of applicants' faking behaviour on the personality scales used for selection decisions. Study 2 showed that applicants increased their raw mean test scores in nearly all personality scales examined, and that applicants' faking behaviour could detrimentally affect applicants' rank order. Based on the findings of Study 2, Study 3 aimed to shed light on the effects of applicants' faking behaviour on the psychometric properties of the personality scales. Measurement invariance analyses revealed that applicants primarily faked by increasing their responses to selected items. The more heterogeneously the responses were increased, the more measurement properties were detrimentally affected. As the synopsis of the three studies, theoretical and practical implications for the use of personality measures for selection decisions are discussed.

Können wir jede Person lehren Lehrer*in zu werden? Sollen wir es?

“…In diesen Gesetzen wird auch der Berufsfeldbezug betont. Längsschnittliche Studien aus Österreich zu Selektionsverfahren von Lehramtsstudien zeigen, dass günstigere Eignungsvoraussetzungen prognostisch für Lehramtsstudienerfolg sind, sowohl für theoretische als auch praktische Teile des Studiums (Koschmieder, 2018;Krammer, 2017;Schulz-Kolland, Krammer, Rottensteiner & Weitlaner, 2014). Selektionsverfahren werden aber auch hinterfragt.…”