PERSONALITY TEST ITEM VALIDITY - INSIGHTS FROM SELF AND OTHER RESEARCH AND THEORY

This research examined the effects of item-evoked cognitive response s trategy and test-taking instructional set on the psychometric properti es of personality scales. University undergraduate roommate pairs (N = 192) responded to subscales from typical personality inventories unde r either standard, trait-focused, or behaviour-focused instructions. R esults indicated that behavioural-based instructions combined with beh avioural-focused items significantly decreased indices of subscale rel iability, validity, and a composite measure of goodness. Findings are interpreted with respect to social cognition theories concerning perce ption of the ''self'' and the ''other''. Implications for personality test item writing and item pool selection are discussed. (C) 1998 Else vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.