The issue of “faking” or impression management on personality inventories is a fascinating topic. It  was recognized as a potential concern in the 1930s, and has both led to nearly 1000 publications and (in the words of Robert Hogan) “consumed the best minds of the discipline.” Despite this attention, the field has not reached any definitive conclusions other than the recognition that personality assessments can be highly effective tools for personnel selection when used in the right context even though some candidates very likely exaggerate their positive attributes while minimizing the negative.  

A recent paper by Bernd Marcus, a German social psychologist, recently cast this in a new light. Marcus argues that we need to understand the applicant-employer dynamic from the applicant’s perspective. Some of the points he makes are that both the applicant and employer are engaged in goal-directed behavior. The applicant wants to induce the employer to hire him or her while the employer’s task is two-fold: to evaluate the candidate but also encourage the applicant to take the job if offered.  Essentially, both parties are in the process of negotiating a long term relationship (perhaps not dissimilar to dating). As a result, it is no surprise both will be on their best behavior. In this vein, just as applicants are unlikely to disclose much negative about themselves, this is also the case for the employer. For example, how often does a potential employer openly share things like the reason why the position is being filled, concerns expressed by incumbents about the heavy workload associated with the job, or disclose other negative factors about the organization or position in question?

Reid Klion