Personnel selection and the five-factor model: Reexamining the effects of applicant's frame of reference

Recently, 2 separate yet related criticisms have been levied against the ad equacy of the five-factor model (or Big Five) as a descriptive taxonomy of job applicant personality: frame of reference effects (M, J. Schmit & A. M. Ryan, 1993) and socially desirable responding (A. F. Snell & M, A. McDanie l, 1998), Of interest, although both criticisms suggest that the five-facto r model is inadequate, the frame of reference effects criticism suggests th at the factor structure should be more complex, whereas socially desirable responding suggests that it should be less complex in job applicant context s. The current research reports the results of a new study demonstrating th e adequacy of die five-factor model as a descriptor of job applicant, job i ncumbent, and student personality. Implications for personality assessment and concurrent validation designs using personality measures are also discu ssed.