The usefulness of the NEO PI-R positive presentation management scale for detecting response distortion in employment contexts

This study examined the usefulness of the NEO PI-R Positive Presentation Management (PPM) scale for detecting response distortion in employment contexts. In study 1, personality and performance data from 90 customer service representatives were used to examine the possible moderating effect of positive presentation management on the personality–performance relation. In study 2, 150 students were given either job applicant or standard instructions before completing the NEO PI-R and the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR). Results indicated that PPM did not moderate the personality–performance relationship; instead, it positively correlated with productivity ratings. PPM differentiated between applicant and general instruction conditions, but the BIDR Impression Management scale was more effective in this regard. And, PPM was more highly correlated with BIDR Self-Deceptive Enhancement than Impression Management. Thus, PPM may be a personality-related tendency to view oneself positively rather than an overt impression management tactic, and it may not be helpful in adjusting applicants’ personality scores for “faking”. These results emphasize the importance of construct validity studies of social desirability scales for use in employment contexts.