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Whoever You Want Me to Be: Personality and Incentives

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  • McGee, Andrew

    (University of Alberta, Department of Economics)

  • McGee, Peter

    (University of Arkansas)

Abstract

What can employers learn from personality tests when applicants have incentives to misrepresent themselves? Using a within-subject, laboratory experiment, we compare personality measures with and without incentives for misrepresentation. Incentivized personality measures are weakly to moderately correlated with non-incentivized measures in all treatments. When test-takers are given a job ad indicating that an extrovert (introvert) is desired, extroversion measures are positively (negatively) correlated with IQ. Among other characteristics, only locus of control appears related to faking on personality measures. Our findings highlight the identification challenges in measuring personality and the potential for correlations between incentivized personality measures and other traits.

Suggested Citation

  • McGee, Andrew & McGee, Peter, 2023. "Whoever You Want Me to Be: Personality and Incentives," Working Papers 2023-12, University of Alberta, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:albaec:2023_012
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    File URL: https://sites.ualberta.ca/~econwps/2023/wp2023-12.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. McGee, Andrew & McGee, Peter, 2020. "Whoever You Want Me to Be: Personality and Incentives," IZA Discussion Papers 13809, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    personality; measurement; hiring; screening; experiments;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • M50 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - General

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