A Process Model of Applicant Faking on Overt Integrity Tests

• Main Author: Yu, Janie
• Other Authors: Newman, Daniel A.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Faking; faking ability; integrity; individual differences; conscientiousness; cognitive ability; attitudes
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2008-12-99; http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2008-12-99

To better understand the cognitive processes associated with faking behaviors, Ajzen?s Theory of Planned Behavior was adapted to the study of faking on overt integrity tests. This decision-based model is then expanded through the inclusion of a key outcome (counterproductive work behavior) and basic individual differences (conscientious personality and cognitive ability). Results from two student samples (n = 233 and n = 160) demonstrate that conscientiousness negatively predicts attitudes toward faking on employment tests, while cognitive ability predicts the ability to fake. In turn, faking ability moderates the effect of self-reported faking motive on actual test scores, while self-reported faking decreases the validity of integrity tests for predicting counterproductive work behaviors. Implications are discussed.