Forced-Choice Personality Tests: A Measure of Personality and Cognitive Ability?

Abstract This study examined the effects of item format (single-stimulus vs. forced-choice) and response motivation (honest vs. applicant) on scores for personality scales measuring Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience. Consistent with the hypotheses, cognitive ability was related to forced-choice personality scores in the applicant condition but not in the honest condition. Cognitive ability was unrelated to single-stimulus personality scores in both the applicant and honest conditions. The results suggest that controlling for cognitive ability can reduce the incremental predictive validity of forced-choice personality scales in applicant settings. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of considering how item format influences the construct and criterion-related validity of personality tests used to make selection decisions.