Premium
COMPARABILITY OF INCUMBENT AND APPLICANT SAMPLES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIODATA KEYS: THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL DESIRABILITY
Author(s) -
STOKES GARNETT S.,
HOGAN JAMES B.,
SNELL ANDREA F.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
personnel psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.076
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1744-6570
pISSN - 0031-5826
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-6570.1993.tb01567.x
Subject(s) - impression management , psychology , comparability , sample (material) , social desirability , selection (genetic algorithm) , social psychology , marketing , business , computer science , mathematics , combinatorics , chemistry , chromatography , artificial intelligence
An index of Socially Desirable Responding (SDR) was developed to measure the extent of impression management exhibited in applicant and incumbent samples when responding to a biodata form. The sample consisted of 2,262 incumbent sales representatives and 2,726 applicants for sales positions. Greater applicant versus incumbent SDR was observed, but differences varied across a priori item content areas. Impression management was minimal in item categories such as Previous Work Experience and Economic Motivation, but it was more prevalent in categories such as Work Style and Preferences and Self‐Evaluations of Prior Sales Success. Using a smaller sample of 810 incumbents and 555 applicants, largely equated for experience, an item‐keyed biodata inventory was developed for selection. When regression procedures were used to develop final keys, no comparable items existed across the keys from the two samples. SDR was more highly related to the applicant key than to the incumbent key. Results for option‐keyed instruments developed and validated on the same samples were compared with the results associated with the item‐keyed instruments, and the conclusions were similar. Implications for the development of biodata forms for selection are discussed.