Big Five traits: Predictors of retesting propensity and score improvement

Although most high‐stakes admissions, credentialing, and pre‐employment tests allow candidates to retest, relatively little is known about the personal traits of candidates who persist in retesting upon initial failure. In this study we investigated whether Big Five traits may predispose initially u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of selection and assessment 2017-06, Vol.25 (2), p.138-148
Main Authors: Barron, Laura G., Randall, Jason G., Trent, John D., Johnson, James F., Villado, Anton J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Failure
Management science
Personality traits
Personnel selection
Preemployment screening
Psychological aspects
Studies
Testing
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Summary:Although most high‐stakes admissions, credentialing, and pre‐employment tests allow candidates to retest, relatively little is known about the personal traits of candidates who persist in retesting upon initial failure. In this study we investigated whether Big Five traits may predispose initially unsuccessful applicants to retest and subsequently improve on high‐stakes cognitive ability and knowledge tests required for personnel selection. In this study personality measures (unlike the cognitive tests) did not affect selection outcomes and hence did not provide applicants incentive to distort their personality responses to gain entry into the organization. Applicants higher in conscientiousness were more likely to retest, and emotional stability positively predicted cognitive test score improvement. We discuss implications of these results for organizations considering retesting policies.
ISSN:0965-075X
1468-2389
DOI:10.1111/ijsa.12166