Response Distortion in Normal Personality Assessment: Investigating Proposed Validity Scales for the NEO-PI-R in a College Student Sample

Abstract

The NEO-PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992b) is an assessment of normal personality composition that is used in clinical counseling contexts as well as for personnel selection. There has been some debate regarding the necessity and usefulness of validity scales to detect response distortion on this instrument. Because the authors of the instrument, Costa and McCrae, denounce the use of validity scales, others have attempted to develop scales for this assessment. This research examined both the psychometric properties and the utility of Schinka et al.'s (1997) proposed validity scales to detect response distortion in the NEO-PI-R. An experimental study was conducted with a convenience sample of 112 college students. The internal consistency, the temporal stability, the relationship between the validity scales scores with scored on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale Form C (M-C Form C) (Reynolds, 1982), the component structure of the scales, and the ability of each of the three scales to detect intentional response distortion when participants were instructed to fake responses was assessed. The results of the following analyses were significant: correlations between the scale scores and the M-C Form C, temporal stability of the scale scores over a 1 week period, and differences in individual NEO-PI-R profiles and validity scale scores between standard and faking instruction conditions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone [phone]. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]