Psychology 3580F 650 FW25

Research in Personality Assessment

Western University

London                   Canada

 

Department of Psychology

Fall/Winter 2025

 

Psychology 3580F    Section 650

 

Research in Personality Assessment

 

1     Calendar Description

 

Addresses reliability and validity issues as well as several contemporary topics in assessment such as multitrait-multimethod analysis, personality testing in personnel selection, and control of dissimulation or "faking" of personality test responses. The course includes a hands-on research component.

 

Antirequisites: N/A

 

Prerequisites: Both Psychology 2801F/G (or one of Health Sciences 2801A/B, Psychology 2840F/G, Psychology 2855F/G) and Psychology 2811A/B (or one of Biology 2244A/B, Economics 2122A/B, Economics 2222A/B, Geography 2210A/B, Health Sciences 3801A/B, MOS 2242A/B, Psychology 2830A/B, Psychology 2850A/B, Sociology 2205A/B, Statistical Sciences 2035, Statistical Sciences 2141A/B, Statistical Sciences 2143A/B, Statistical Sciences 2244A/B, Statistical Sciences 2858A/B, the former Social Work 2207A/B), or both the former Psychology 2800E and the former Psychology 2810, PLUS registration in third or fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology or Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Third or fourth year Psychology Majors and Psychology Special Students who earn 70% or higher in both Psychology 2801F/G (or 70% or higher in one of Health Sciences 2801A/B, Psychology 2840F/G, Psychology 2855F/G) and Psychology 2811A/B (or 70% or higher in one of Biology 2244A/B, Economics 2122A/B, Economics 2222A/B, Geography 2210A/B, Health Sciences 3801A/B, MOS 2242A/B, Psychology 2830A/B, Psychology 2850A/B, Sociology 2205A/B, Statistical Sciences 2035, Statistical Sciences 2141A/B, Statistical Sciences 2143A/B, Statistical Sciences 2244A/B, Statistical Sciences 2858A/B, the former Social Work 2207A/B), or 70% or higher in the former Psychology 2820E (or 60% or higher in the former Psychology 2800E and the former Psychology 2810) also may enrol in this course.

 

2 lecture hours (asynchronous online); 2 laboratory hours (presentations, forum participation, and individual assignments).

 

Course Weight: 0.50

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

 

2     Course Information

 

Instructor:                      Jose A. Espinoza

Office & Phone:            see Brightspace

Office Hours:                see Brightspace: by appointment (see more information in Booking Office Hours below)

Email:                               jespinoz@uwo.ca  (I aim to respond to emails within 24 hours

Monday–Friday and within 48 hours on Saturday and Sunday.)

 

Teaching Assistant:   TBA

Office:                               TBA

Office Hours:                 TBA

Email:                               TBA

 

Time and Location of Classes: Asynchronous – lectures posted weekly online (on OWL).

Note that the Test will be synchronous (see 6 Assessment/Evaluation Schedule for details).

 

Online Learning: For courses that include an online component, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements.

 

Booking Office Hours

Office hours will be by appointment during times specified above in 2 Course Information. Full information on arranging a meeting can be found on the OWL course website. As an overview:

  • You must sign up for a slot using the Cal.com link provided on OWL and attend the specific time you signed up for.
  • If you “drop in” without signing up, I might not be present or be in a meeting with another student.
  • All meetings will occur over Zoom unless we arrange otherwise. I encourage you to book a meeting in person if you feel this would be most beneficial to you.
  • If you have a scheduling conflict with office hours (e.g., in another class during that time), please email me to find an alternate date and time for a meeting.

 

3     Course Materials

 

No specific textbook is required but readings will be assigned on a weekly basis in accordance with the lecture schedule in this document.

 

 

4     Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

 

This course familiarizes the student with research on several key topics in the assessment of individual differences such as the use of personality assessment in pre-employment testing, “faking” of personality test responses and control of “faking” of personality test responses, and the utility of personality test responses in the context of other methods. In so doing, this course will improve skills in understanding research in the assessment of individual differences, developing research ideas, and evaluating potential application. The hands-on component of the course is designed to develop applied and conceptual skills relevant to the assessment of individual differences.

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Describe and explain important personality traits that underlie performance in a variety of jobs;

Lecture, Readings, Participation.

Assignments, Participation, Test, Flash Talks, Essay.

Generate new testable hypotheses regarding the assessment of personality.

Lecture, Readings, Participation, Independent research for Essay.

Assignments, Participation, Flash Talks, Essay.

Design research to test hypotheses regarding the assessment of personality.

Lecture, Readings, Participation, Assignments, Independent research for Essay.

Assignments, Participation, Test, Flash Talks, Essay.

Identify and describe important measurement issues relevant to the assessment of personality.

Lecture, Readings, Participation.

Assignments, Participation, Test, Essay.

Apply concepts and theories from personality assessment to real world problems.

Lecture, Readings, Participation, Independent research for Essay.

Assignments, Participation, Test, Flash Talks, Essay.

 

5     Evaluation

 

Note: For evaluation dates, see 6 Assessment/Evaluation Schedule section below.

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in Section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives.

 

Evaluation

% of Final Course Grade

Assignments

25%

   Assignment 1

5%

   Assignment 2

10%

   Assignment 3

10%

Participation

5%

Test

25%

Essay

30%

   Proposal

5%

   Final Essay

25%

Flash Talks

15%

   Presentation

10%

   Discussant Role

5%

 

Assignments (25%)

 

There will be three Assignments throughout the course that involve applications of the course content, worth 30% of the final course grade in total (Assignment 1 = 5%, Assignment 2 = 10%, Assignment 3 = 10%). Additional details about each Assignment will be provided on OWL (see also Submission Formats for Assignments and Essay section below).

 

Participation (5%)

 

To foster student learning and understanding of material, 5% of the final course grade is allotted to participation in the course. Participation will be obtained via active engagement in forum discussions hosted on OWL. Each week, the instructor or TA will post a question, article, or other media component as a prompt to start the discussion. Students are expected to comment in the forum drawing on the readings, lecture, independent research for their essay, as well as personal experiences.

 

Evaluation of Participation

After the conclusion of a given instructional week (Friday at 11:59pm), all student engagement in the forum in relation to the prompt will be reviewed by the instructor and/or TA. At the end of the term, the instructor and TA will analyze each student’s participation to arrive at a holistic assessment of performance on this component using the rubric below.

 

In evaluating students over the term, the instructor/TA will consider the quality of students’ contributions and trends in participation. That is, there is not a specific number of questions or comments students must make to maximize their grades. Evaluation will favour a pattern indicating a student is engaged with the course based on insightful questions, comments which demonstrate critical thinking, and investment in ongoing discussion with their peers (e.g., replying to others with questions, follow-up comments, or new perspectives).

 

Rubric for Evaluation of Participation

Excellent

(10 pts)

Proactively and consistently contributes via questions and comments which show deep understanding, critical thinking, and insight that extends on relevant ideas and concepts. Highly engaged in respectful discussion with peers.

Good

(9-8 pts)

Consistently contributes via questions and comments which show strong understanding, critical thinking, and insight. Highly engaged in respectful discussion with peers.

Fair

(7-6 pts)

Usually contributes via questions and comments that show basic understanding and some critical thinking and insight.

Generally engaged in respectful discussion with peers.

Poor

(5-4 pts)

Infrequently contributes via questions and comments that show understanding, critical thinking, and/or insight.

Low to moderate engagement in discussion with peers.

Unacceptable

(≤ 3 pts)

Almost never contributes via questions and comments, or these show little understanding, critical thinking, and/or insight. Low engagement in discussion with peers.

 

 

Test (25%)

There will be one Test of up to 2 hours in length covering all the lectures, readings, and other assigned material up to that point in the course. The Test may be composed of short answer, long answer, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or select-all in any combination, including all questions of a single format (e.g., short answer only). The Test will be worth 25% of the final course grade. The test will be synchronous (see 6 Assessment/Evaluation Schedule) and written online on the OWL course site.

 

Format: The Test will be “open book” such that students will be allowed to use the following approved aids when responding to questions: lecture slides, readings, and their own personal course notes. Additional information will be provided on OWL, however, due to the format of the Test, please be advised:

  • Students are expected to complete the Test independently, by themselves, without any aids excepts those approved above.
    • This means that use of the internet and/or generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot) is completely prohibited.
    • Any evidence that a student has drawn from an unapproved aid or responses from another student will be treated as a scholastic offence.
    • Approved aids must be accessed from the electronic device being used to complete the assignment. For example, your personal notes must be on the computer you are using to complete the test, you should not use another device to do this (e.g., your mobile phone). Handwritten notes are exempted because they are not accessed on an electronic device.
  • The Test will be linear such that, once a student moves on past a question, they will not be able to return to revise their response. Ensure you are happy with your response before moving on.
  • Relying on personal notes, readings, or other approved aids too heavily will likely take up much of the time available. Students are responsible for budgeting their time appropriately to complete the Test.
  • Responses may be informed by the approved aids for the Test, but all written responses must be in the student’s own words.

 

Essay (30%; Proposal = 5%, Final Essay = 25%)

 

Each student must complete an APA-formatted essay of 2,000–2,500 words (not counting references, tables, figures, and appendices). In this essay, students will propose a research study in an area relevant to personality assessment describing the rationale for the study, hypotheses to be tested, method for executing the study, and the potential scientific and practical implications of the research. Details on the content, structure, and grading of the essay will be provided on OWL (see also Submission Formats for Assignments and Essay section below). The Final Essay will be worth 25% of the final course grade.

 

Prior to submission of the Final Essay, students must submit a brief Proposal (max. 300 words) describing the general aims and method for their study. This Proposal must be approved by the instructor before the student can commence work on their Final Essay. Only one student may write an essay on a particular topic, therefore, the instructor may ask a student to modify or change their proposal to ensure uniqueness from other students’ work. Additional guidance on this component will be provided on OWL. The Proposal will be worth 5% of the final course grade.

 

Flash Talks (15%; Presentation = 10%, Discussant Role = 5%)

 

To demonstrate their understanding of key course concepts and their application, each student will be expected to deliver a “Flash Talk” presentation based on their Essay content.  Each Flash Talk will be strictly restricted to 5 minutes. The Flash Talk will be worth 15% of the final course grade across two components (Presentation = 10%; Discussant Role = 5%).

 

In addition to their role as presenter, students will also be randomly assigned to act as a “Discussant” for two to three of their peers’ Flash Talks. As a Discussant, students are expected to ask questions which provide an opportunity for the presenter to demonstrate their critical thinking, insight into the topic of their study, and understanding of course concepts.

 

Flash Talks will be conducted asynchronously, such that students will be expected to record their presentation and submit it to the instructor. The instructor will then post these presentations on OWL for the Discussants and the rest of the class to view. The presenter is then expected to monitor the post for their presentation throughout the week and engage in discussion about their presentation with the Discussants and the rest of the class. See 6 Assessment/Evaluation Schedule for presentation scheduling.

 

Additional information will be provided on OWL, however, as a summary:

  • Each student’s Flash Talk is expected to provide a summary of their proposed study emphasizing three major aspects: rationale for the study, potential contributions to the research area, and potential implications for practice.
  • Presenters will be graded on the effective communication of the major aspects of their study and on the quality of their responses to questions.
  • As a Discussant, students will be evaluated based on their formulation of questions and comments which demonstrate their understanding of course material but, most importantly, provide opportunities for effective responses from the presenter.

 

Submission Formats for Assignments and Essay

 

All components for Assignments and the Essay must be submitted via Word documents written using the online Microsoft Office 365 service in a One Drive folder assigned to the student. The automatic tracking of changes made in these documents (i.e., “version history”) aids in maintaining the academic integrity of submissions and helps protect students from concerns about cheating, plagiarism, or the unapproved use of generative artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot). All students have access to Microsoft Office 365 through their Western University accounts and are required to use these accounts when working on evaluation components.

 

Additional detail and guidance will be provided on OWL but, as an overview, the process for submitting assignments is as follows:

  • At the beginning of the term, the instructor will “share” an Office 365 folder with each student through their Western University account for their individual use in submitting assignments. This folder will include blank documents corresponding to each assignment and essay component in the course.
  • Using the provided blank documents, students will work on evaluation components using the online version of Microsoft Office 365. Students must ensure that all written work is completed within these documents such that it forms a record of their efforts.
  • Prior to the due date for an evaluation component, students are expected to finish the evaluation component and to “sign” the document by typing their name and the current time of submission at the end of the document. Students must also change the “Draft” portion of the document title to “Submission” to indicate they have completed the evaluation component.
  • After “submitting” the assignment using the steps, students may not make any further changes to the document.

 

Note on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence: As per the AI Policy for Psychology, the use of AI for the drafting of your assignments or fabrication of sources is prohibited. Although students may use AI for initial brainstorming, improving grammar (as suggestions which the student incorporates independently), or preliminary/background research, all written text included in a submission must be created solely by the student. Please review the AI Policy for Psychology (see relevant section) for additional information on expectations and potential consequences in relation to the use of AI.

 

Policy on Missing Coursework

 

Please also see section 10 Absence & Academic Consideration.

 

Essay Course Notice: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.

 

Grades and Withdrawal Notice: This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.

 

Assignments: Unless accommodation is granted (as per Section 9), students who do not submit an Assignment by the due date will incur a penalty of 10% per day on their grade for each day the assignment is late (including weekends). This penalty will accumulate until it amounts to a 100% penalty on the grade, at which point the Assignment will no longer be accepted. However, students who email the instructor (jespinoz@uwo.ca) before the due date for an Assignment briefly describing exceptional circumstances beyond their control (entirely at the instructor’s discretion) that prevent the timely submission of an Assignment will receive an automatic 48-hour “grace period” to submit the Assignment without penalty. After this 48-hour period, penalties will be incurred for late submissions as described above.

 

Participation: Participation records on online forums are reviewed by the TA and Instructor at the end of each instructional week. As a result, this offers students five days to demonstrate active engagement for the purpose of earning participation marks. Considering the substantial time available to complete this evaluation component, any student who does not participate within this period for an instructional week will be assessed a zero unless accommodation is granted (as per Section 9).

 

Test: Students who do not complete the Test will receive a grade of zero on this component of the course, unless accommodation is granted (as per Section 9). If accommodation is granted, the student will be expected to complete the Makeup Test. There will be one, and only one, Makeup Test, and it will be scheduled 7-14 days after the original Test at a time of the instructor’s choosing. Students who have received accommodation to complete the Makeup Test but fail to complete the Makeup Test, will receive a grade of zero on this component of the course, unless further accommodation is granted.

 

Designated Assessment for Documentation: As per university policy, the Test is designated as requiring formal supporting documentation for the purposes of academic consideration. Students may, therefore, not use an undocumented absence for this assessment.

 

Essay: Unless accommodation is granted (as per Section 9), students who do not submit an Essay component by the due date will incur a penalty of 10% per day on their grade for each day the component is late (including weekends). This penalty will accumulate until it amounts to a 100% penalty on the grade, at which point the Essay component will no longer be accepted. However, students who email the instructor (jespinoz@uwo.ca) before the due date for an Essay component briefly describing exceptional circumstances beyond their control (entirely at the instructor’s discretion) that prevent the timely submission of an Essay component will receive an automatic 48-hour “grace period” to submit the Essay component without penalty. After this 48-hour grace period, penalties will be incurred for late submissions.

 

Flash Talks: Flash Talks require timely submission to ensure sufficient opportunity for discussion between the presenter, Discussants, and other audience members. As a result, unless accommodation is granted (as per Section 9), students who do not submit their presentation to the Instructor by the due date will incur a penalty of 20% per day on their grade for each day the presentation is late (including weekends). This penalty will accumulate until it amounts to a 100% penalty on the grade, at which point the presentation will no longer be accepted. Due to the need for sufficient time for discussion, this evaluation is not eligible for the 48-hour “grace period” described for the Assignment and Essay.

 

For presenters and Discussants, engagement in discussion will be evaluated based on exchanges that occur in the assigned presentation’s post during the week in which it was posted. As a result, this offers students five days to demonstrate active engagement in discussion. Considering the substantial time available, a student who does not participate within this period will be assessed a zero, unless accommodation is granted (as per Section 9).

 

Discussants and Absent Presenters: Students assigned to act as Discussant for a presentation which is not conducted will be re-assigned to act as Discussant for a future presentation.

 

Grading

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines:  https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

 

70%     1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%     2100-2999-level courses

75%     3000-level courses

80%     4000-level courses

 

In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

University-wide Grade Descriptors

90-100%          One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level

80-89%             Superior work which is clearly above average

70-79%             Good work, meeting all requirements

60-69%             Competent work, meeting requirements

50-59%             Fair work, minimally acceptable

Below 50%      Fail

 

Policy on Grade Rounding

 

Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered.

 

What Are Grades? (Instructor’s Note)

 

In this course, you will be evaluated through various assignments, activities, and tests, each resulting in a grade meant to reflect your “performance” in the course. While this is a common approach in most educational settings, I wanted to express my thoughts on these grades and what they do and do not represent:

  1. Grades are just ONE very specific way of measuring your knowledge, critical thinking, preparation, etc., in relation to the course. It is important to not generalize too far and draw conclusions not warranted by your grades.
  2. Specifically, course grades are meant to be a measure of your understanding of specific content at one specific point in time. However, grades aren’t just predicted by factors in your control! They are also influenced by many other things – time, energy, resources, support, and even what you feel like you were able and willing to give during a specific period in your life in which there may be many other “bigger” things going on (e.g., personal issues, worldwide political and economic uncertainty, humanitarian and climate disasters).
  3. Remember that grades are NOT a measure of your worth as a person. Full stop.
  4. A grade on a single assignment, a test, a handful of evaluations, or even a whole course does not represent your overall ability and potential.
  5. If other people treat you like your grades are a measure of your worth as a person, read numbers 1-4 above again, because they are wrong.
  6. Unfortunately, there is no way getting around the fact that grades are how we measure performance and that these grades may have important implications for your time in university and other aspects of your life (e.g., what courses you can take, when and if you graduate). This means we cannot ignore grades so please use the resources available to you to help you achieve the grades you need/desire.
    • Ask questions in class and via email to get clarification.
    • Use your instructor’s office hours or arrange for another time to get help.
    • Reach out to academic advising for guidance (see also 11 Other Information)

 

Credit to Dr. Jordan Wagge of Avila University and Dr. Molly Metz of the University of Toronto for much of the phrasing in this section.

 

Disputing Grades (Instructor’s Note)

 

If you believe that a grade you’ve received is unfair or inaccurate, please contact the instructor via email (jespinoz@uwo.ca):

  • At least 48 hours after the grade has been returned.
  • Provide a 1-2 paragraph written explanation for your dispute of the grade. Please be specific and refer to the rubric and guidelines for the assignment. You must make a strong case that is supported by the course material, assignment instructions, and criteria which were used to evaluate the assignment.
  • If, in the instructor’s judgment, there is merit to your dispute, you will be entitled to a full regrade of the assignment according to the evaluation criteria. Note that a regrade means that you may receive a ‘new’ grade that is higher or lower than what you originally received. Regardless of whether the ‘new’ grade is higher or lower it will replace the ‘original’ grade.

 

Please note that these steps are intended to provide a standard procedure for re-evaluating grades within this course and do not prevent you from pursuing other processes administered by the university (see also 11 Other Information). 

 

6     Assessment/Evaluation Schedule

 

Evaluation

Due Date

Assignments

 

   Assignment 1

Fri., Oct. 3 at 11:59pm

   Assignment 2

Fri., Oct. 24 at 11:59pm

   Assignment 3

Fri., Nov. 21 at 11:59pm

Test

Sat., Nov. 1: 9:30–11:30am

Essay

 

   Proposal

Fri., Oct. 31 at 11:59pm

   Final Essay

Fri., Dec. 5 at 11:59pm

Flash Talk Presentations

 

   Student Presentations Rd. 1

Presentation: Fri., Nov. 14 at 11:59pm

Discussion: Nov. 17-21, ending 11:59pm

   Student Presentations Rd. 2

Presentation: Fri. Nov. 21 at 11:59pm

Discussion: Nov. 24-28, ending 11:59pm

   Student Presentations Rd. 3

Presentation: Fri. Nov. 28 at 11:59pm

Discussion: Dec. 1-5, ending 11:59pm

 

Assessments

Instructions for Assignments will be posted to OWL approximately seven days before their due date. All Assignments must be submitted using the student’s One Drive folder with Microsoft Office 365 as describe above in Submission Formats for Assignments and Essay.

  • Assignment 1 is due on Friday, October 03 at 11:59pm.
  • Assignment 2 is due on Friday, October 24 at 11:59pm.
  • Assignment 3 is due on Friday, November 21 at 11:59pm.

 

Test

The Test will be written online on the OWL course site on Saturday, November 1 from 9:30am to 11:30am. Note that this means the test is synchronous and students must be set up and prepared to begin the test on OWL at the specified time.

 

Essay

All Essay components must be submitted using the student’s One Drive folder with Microsoft Office 365 as describe above in Submission Formats for Assignments and Essay.

  • The Proposal is due on Friday, October 31 at 11:59pm.
  • The Final Essay is due on Friday, December 5 at 11:59pm.

 

Flash Talk Presentations

The Flash Talk Presentations will be conducted asynchronously on OWL. Each student will be randomly assigned to present during one of three rounds of Flash Talks occurring during the last three weeks of the term.

 

According to their assigned round of presentations, students must submit their recorded Flash Talk to the instructor on the following days:

  • Presentations Rd. 1: Friday, Nov. 14 at 11:59pm.
  • Presentations Rd. 2: Friday, Nov. 21 at 11:59pm.
  • Presentations Rd. 3: Friday, Nov. 28 at 11:59pm.

 

During the week for a given round of presentations, the presenter, Discussants, and the rest of the audience will be evaluated on their contributions to the discussion as follows:

  • Presentations Rd. 1: Nov. 17-21, ending at 11:59pm.
  • Presentations Rd. 2: Nov. 24-28, ending at 11:59pm.
  • Presentations Rd. 3: Dec.1-5, ending at 11:59pm.

 

7     Class Schedule

 

Identifying Readings: See Reading List below the class schedule to identify relevant readings for each week. These readings are available on the OWL course site. Note that, for each lecture, readings are also listed in a recommended reading order.

 

Dates

Topic

Readings

Notes

Sep. 8-12

Course Overview

 

Familiarize yourself with OWL site.

Sep. 15-19

Essential Measurement Issues: Reliability

Murphy & Davidshofer (2005), Ch. 6-7 (pp. 116-152).

Skip the sections on “Reliability of Difference Scores,” “Reliability of Composite Scores,” and “Reliability of Criterion-Referenced Tests.”

Sep. 22-26

Essential Measurement Issues: Validity

Murphy & Davidshofer (2005), Ch. 8-9 (pp. 153-201).

Skip section on “Tests and Decisions” and material on pages 192-198.

Sep. 29-Oct. 03

Pre-employment Testing: Basic Issues

Raymark et al. (1997); Tett et al. (1991); Hughes & Batey (2017)

 

Oct. 06-10

Pre-employment Testing: The "Faking" Problem Pt. 1

Goffin & Boyd (2009); Jeong et al. (2017); Rosse et al. (1998); Christiansen et al. (1994); Blasberg et al. (2013)

 

Oct. 13-17

Pre-employment Testing: The "Faking" Problem Pt. 2

Dwight & Donovan (2003); Jackson et al. (2000); Goffin et al. (2011); Fan et al. (2012);

 

Oct. 20-24

Conclusions of Personality Assessment and Pre-Employment Testing; Test Review and Q&A

 

Conducted synchronously online on Friday, Oct. 24, 9:30-11:30am. Slides will also be available on OWL.

Oct. 27-31

Test

 

Conducted synchronously online on Saturday, Nov. 1, 9:30am-11:30am.

Nov. 3-7

Fall Reading Week. No classes.

Nov. 10-14

Personality Testing in the Context of other Methods

Goffin (2016); Schmidt & Hunter (1998); Sackett et al. (2022)

 

Nov. 17-21

Flash Talks Rd. 1

 

Conducted asynchronously on OWL (see 5 Evaluation)

Nov. 24-28

Flash Talks Rd. 2

 

Conducted asynchronously on OWL (see 5 Evaluation)

Dec. 1-5

Flash Talks Rd. 3; Essay Consultations

 

Conducted asynchronously on OWL (see 5 Evaluation)

 

Reading List

 

Blasberg, S.A., Rogers, K.H., & Paulhus, D.L. (2013). The Bidimensional Impression

Management Index (BIMI): Measuring agentic and communal forms of impression management. Journal of Personality Assessment, 96, 523-531.

 

Christiansen, N. D., Goffinn, R.D., Johnston, N. G., & Rothstein, M. G. (1994). Correcting the

16PF for faking: Effects on criterion-related validity and individual hiring decisions. Personnel Psychology, 47, 847-860.

 

Dwight, S.A., & Donovan, J.J. (2003). Do warnings not to fake reduce faking? Human

Performance, 16, 1-23.

 

Fan, J., Gao, D., Carroll, S. A., Lopez, F. J., Tian, T. S., & Meng, H. (2012). Testing the efficacy of a

new procedure for reducing faking on personality tests within selection contexts. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(4), 866–80.

 

Goffin, R. D. (2016). Intelligence in the Workplace. In V. Zeigler-Hill and T.K. Shackelford

(Eds), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer.

 

Goffin. R.D., & Boyd, A.C. (2009). Faking and personality assessment in personnel selection:

Advancing models of faking. Canadian Psychology, 50, 151-160.

 

Goffin, R.D., Jang, I., & Skinner, E. (2011). Forced-choice and conventional personality

assessment: Each may have unique value in pre-employment testing. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 840-844.

 

Hughes, D. J., & Batey, M. (2017). Using personality questionnaires for selection. In H. W.

Goldstein, E. D. Pulakos, J. Passmore, & C. Semedo (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Recruitment, Selection and Employee Retention (1st ed., pp. 151–181). Wiley.

 

Jackson, D. N., Wroblewski,V. R., & Ashton, M. C. (2000). The impact of faking on employment

tests: Does forced choice offer a solution? Human Performance, 13, 371-388.

 

Jeong, Y. R., Christiansen, N. D., Robie, C., Kung, M.-C., & Kinney, T. B. (2017). Comparing

applicants and incumbents: Effects of response distortion on mean scores and validity

of personality measures. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 25 (3), 311–315.

 

Murphy, K.R., & Davidshofer, C. O. (2005). Psychological testing: Principles and Applications

(6th ed.). Prentice Hall.

 

Raymark, P. H., Schmit, M. J., & Guion, R. M. (1997). Identifying potentially useful personality

constructs for employee selection. Personnel Psychology, 50, 723-736.

 

Rosse, J. G., Stecher, M. D., Miller, J. L., & Levin, R. A. (1998). The impact of response distortion

on preemployment personality testing and hiring decisions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 634-644.

 

Sackett, P. R., Zhang, C., Berry, C. M., & Lievens, F. (2022). Revisiting meta-analytic estimates

of validity in personnel selection: Addressing systematic overcorrection for restriction of range. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(11), 2040–2068

 

Schmidt, F.l., & Hunter, J.E. (1998). The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel

psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research findings. Psychological Bulletin, 124, 262-274.

 

Tett, R. P., Jackson, D. N., & Rothstein, M., (1991). Personality measures as predictors of job

performance: A meta-analytic review. Personnel Psychology, 44, 703-742.

 

8     Academic Integrity

 

Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

 

Statement on Use of Electronic Devices

 

During synchronous components of the course (e.g., Test) students are expected to only use those devices necessary for the completion of the course component (e.g., the computer on which the Test is being completed).  The use of other electronic devices during these components is prohibited. 

 

Plagiarism Detection Software

 

All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism.  All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com.

 

Use of AI

 

The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.

AI Policy for Psychology: Responsible use of AI is allowed in Psychology.  This includes using AI for brainstorming, improving grammar, or doing preliminary/background research on a topic.

 

AI is not to be used in place of critical thinking.

 

The misuse of AI undermines the academic values of this course.  Relying on AI to create full drafts or fabricate sources is prohibited.  You are ultimately responsible for any work submitted, so it is highly advised that you critically review your Generative AI output before incorporating this information into your assignments.

 

If you use AI, you must clearly explain its role in your work.  All written assignments will require an AI Usage Statement, in which you will indicate what tools you have used, what you have used them for, and (broadly) how you have modified this information.  Assignments without an AI Usage Statement will not be accepted.

 

Violations of this policy will be handled according to Western’s scholastic offense policies.

 

Multiple Choice Exams

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

Exam Proctoring Software

 

Tests and examinations for online courses may be conducted using a remote proctoring service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.

 

Personal Response Systems (“Clickers”)

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system, data collected will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed.

 

9     Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education

 

View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.

 

Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.

If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information.  Email: aew@uwo.ca  Phone: 519 661-2147

 

10  Absence & Academic Consideration

 

Academic Considerations: https://registrar.uwo.ca/academics/academic_considerations/index.html

 

11  Other Information

 

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

 

Western is committed to reducing incidents of gender-based and sexual violence (GBSV) and providing compassionate support to anyone who is going through or has gone through these traumatic events. If you are experiencing or have experienced GBSV (either recently or in the past), you will find information about support services for survivors, including emergency contacts at the following website: https://www.uwo.ca/health/student_support/survivor_support/gethelp.html  

To connect with a case manager or set up an appointment, please contact support@uwo.ca.

 

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you.

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement

 

Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.