In this study, researchers interviewed test takers to learn what they were thinking while taking a personality test. While the field of industrial-organizational psychology tends to fixate on how well personality tests succeed in identifying rockstar candidates, we should also think about how candidates react when completing them. Here are a few of the findings:
- Some test-takers had a difficult time answering the questions, as no context was provided. For example, if they had to rate how likely they are to “start a conversation with a stranger” (with no other context), they felt as though their answer would differ if asked in a work setting versus their personal life.
- A few didn’t feel as though they knew themselves well enough to answer the questions.
- A number of individuals answered the questions in a way to make them look more favorable, to help secure the job in question. Others tried to answer as honestly as possible, thinking the test would be able to figure out any devious plan they may have had.
- Many test-takers tried to figure out how their answers would be analyzed and interpreted.
- Most individuals noticed questions that seemed to be similar and/or repeating, but assumed this was a way to detect how consistently they answered the questions.
So the moral of the story is: our reactions to personality tests are as different as our personalities themselves.
König, C. J., Merz, A.‐S., & Trauffer, N. (2012). What is in applicants’ minds when they fill out a personality test? Insights from a qualitative study. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 20(4), 442–452.
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