Patrick Baffour, the director of housing, is interested in seeing whether he can get some help in selecting resident assistants for the residence halls. In the past, Patrick has relied on
individual interviews with job applicants to decide who will be hired. This year, the number of resident assistants will increase, and their job duties will expand. They will be expected to conduct interviews with the residents during the middle of each semester to identify students who are struggling academically and then refer them to appropriate services on campus. Patrick consults a psychologist in the counseling center, Dr. Gina Lojano, about whether administering a personality test to his applicants would help him in the selection process. He wants to hire students who feel comfortable taking on a leadership role, have good interpersonal skills, and are empathetic. Students who are hired will receive free room and board and a small monthly stipend for their work. He is concerned that some students might try to consciously distort their responses to put themselves in a favorable light and yet not have the qualities that he is looking for in a resident assistant. Can personality testing be of help to Patrick? Can traits such as interpersonal warmth, social dominance, and empathy be adequately assessed? Can a personality test, successfully detect students who consciously attempt to look overly well-suited for the position?