How do applicants fake? A response process model of faking on multidimensional forced-choice personality assessments

Faking on personality assessments remains an unsolved issue, raising major concerns regarding their validity and fairness. Although there is a large body of quantitative research investigating the response process of faking on personality assessments, for both rating scales (RS) and multidimensional forced choice (MFC), only a few studies have yet qualitatively investigated the faking cognitions when responding to MFC in a high-stakes context (e.g., Sass et al., 2020). Yet, it could be argued that only when we have a process model that adequately describes the response decisions in high stakes, can we begin to extract valid and useful information from assessments. Thus, this qualitative study investigated the faking cognitions when responding to MFC personality assessment in a high-stakes context. Through cognitive interviews with N = 32 participants, we explored and identified factors influencing the test-takers' decisions regarding specific items and blocks, and factors influencing the willingness to engage in faking in general. Based on these findings, we propose a new response process model of faking forced-choice items, the Activate-Rank-Edit-Submit (A-R-E-S) model. We also make four recommendations for practice of high-stakes assessments using MFC.     

Accelerated lamellar disintegration in eutectoid steel

The fastest kinetics of lamellar disintegration (predicted duration of 44 min) in AISI 1080 steel is obtained with a novel approach of incomplete austenitisation-based cyclic heat treatment involving forced air cooling with an air flow rate of 8.7 m³ h^?1. A physical model for process kinetics is proposed that involves lamellar fragmentation, lamellar thickening, divorced eutectoid growth and generation of new lamellar faults in remaining cementite lamellae in each cycle. Lamellar fragmentation is accentuated with faster rate of cooling through generation of more intense lamellar faults; but divorced eutectoid growth is ceased. Accordingly, as compared to still air cooling, much faster kinetics of lamellar disintegration is obtained by forced air cooling together with the generation of much smaller submicroscopic cementite particles (containing more proportion of plate-shaped non-spheroids) in divorced eutectoid region.     

Taxicab Correspondence Analysis of Contingency Tables with One Heavyweight Column

The aim of this paper is to study the analysis of contingency tables with one heavyweight column or one heavyweight entry by taxicab correspondence analysis (TCA). Given that the mathematics of TCA is simpler than the mathematics of correspondence analysis (CA), the influence of one heavyweight column on the outputs of TCA is studied explicitly without recourse to asymptotics as done by Benzécri (Les Cahiers de L’Analyse des Données 4:413–16, 1979). A reweighting of the heavyweight column is proposed, which can also be applied to CA. A real data set is analyzed. This research is financed by NSERC of Canada. The author is grateful to the Editor, Professor B. Junker, to an Associate Editor and to three referees for their constructive comments.     

Geometric representation of association between categories

Categories can be counted, rated, or ranked, but they cannot be measured. Likewise, persons or individuals can be counted, rated, or ranked, but they cannot be measured either. Nevertheless, psychology has realized early on that it can take an indirect road to measurement: What can be measured is the strength of association between categories in samples or populations, and what can be quantitatively compared are counts, ratings, or rankings made under different circumstances, or originating from different persons. The strong demand for quantitative analysis of categorical data has thus created a variety of statistical methods, with substantial contributions from psychometrics and sociometrics. What is the common basis of these methods dealing with categories? The basic element they share is that the sample space has a special geometry, in which categories (or persons) are point masses forming a simplex, while distributions of counts or profiles of ratings are centers of gravity, which are also point masses. Rankings form a discrete subset in the interior of the simplex, known as the permutation polytope, and paired comparisons form another subset on the edges of the simplex. Distances between point masses form the basic tool of analysis. The paper gives some history of major concepts, which naturally leads to a new concept: the shadow point. It is then shown how loglinear models, Luce and Rasch models, unfolding models, correspondence analysis and homogeneity analysis, forced classification and classification trees, as well as other models and methods, fit into this particular geometrical framework.     

神经质人格迫选量表的开发及其抗作假效果研究

传统的迫选量表得分是自模式数据,最近提出的Thurstone IRT模型建构了被试对迫选量表反应的数学模型,能够更精确地度量被试的特质水平.研究自编了神经质人格迫选量表,与常用的测量神经质的Likert量表一起,在无压力、模拟应聘和实际应聘三种情境下进行施测.结果发现,迫选量表的实测数据能够较好地拟合Thurstone IRT模型,该模型估计的特质得分不具有自模式数据的性质,比传统计分更能够抵抗作假.无论采用哪种计分方式,迫选量表都比Likert量表更能够抵抗作假.     

MUST ETHICS BE THEOLOGICAL? A CRITIQUE OF THE NEW PRAGMATISTS

In the last decade there has been a pragmatic turn in the work of those doing Christian ethics, especially as represented by the work of Jeffrey Stout and Franklin Gamwell. The pragmatic turn represents a critique of the highly influential work of Stanley Hauerwas and Alasdair MacIntyre, which argues for a strongly intra-church ethics. The pragmatists are correct in arguing that Christian ethics must engage the public sphere. However, I argue that they are deeply mistaken in their claim that this engagement must rest on a weak or non-existent theology. I show that the claim that robust theology adds nothing to ethics, and that we can get along without it, is unsustainable.     

Faking resistance of a quasi-ipsative RIASEC occupational interest measure

Quasi-ipsative (QI) forced-choice response formats are often recommended over single-stimulus (SS) as a method to reduce applicant faking. Across three studies we developed and tested a QI version of the RIASEC occupational interests scale. The first study established acceptable reliability and validity of the QI version. The second and third studies tested the efficacy of the QI version for faking prevention in simulated job applicant scenarios. The results revealed that although the QI and SS formats were similarly fakable for the primary targeted interest, faking was limited for the secondary target on the QI version. Future research should identify the specific contexts in which QI prevents faking on various individual differences measures to allow for accurate recommendations in applied settings.