The utility of overclaiming questionnaires depends on the fit between test content and application context

Overclaiming questionnaires (OCQs) were proposed as a means to counteract social desirability bias by capturing individual differences in participants' self-enhancement tendencies in self-report assessments. Previous studies that evaluated OCQs reported mixed results. However, fit between the content of an OCQ in terms of its items and the context in which the measure is presented has not been tested systematically. In a mock application study (N = 432), we compared different levels of content-context fit between conditions. Results show that the utility of a general knowledge OCQ varied as a function of its content fit to different application contexts. Expectedly, overclaiming was most pronounced in an application context with optimal content fit to the OCQ, followed by a context with lower fit and an honest control condition without application context. Furthermore, participants in the application conditions were shown to successfully fake on conventional personality scales while incorporating specific requirements of the application context into their faking behavior. Our results thus corroborate previous findings suggesting a high susceptibility of personality scales to deliberate faking. In contrast, when content-context fit is taken into account, OCQs may be a promising method for assessing applicant faking.

Automated summary

Overclaiming questionnaires (OCQs) are a promising method for assessing individual self-enhancement tendencies, but their utility is influenced by the fit between the content and context.