A response to the following using APA and sources.

I believe that some people do respond dishonestly on personality tests. This is done for a variety of reasons but I believe the core reason for this dishonesty is to create the illusion that they are the person that administrator of the test if looking for. This is seen frequently with job applicants who answer personality tests based on what type of person they believe that the employer is looking for rather than answering honestly. According to a study completed by Birkeland, Manson, Kisamore, Brannick, & Smith (2006) faking a personality test may not be too difficult. The study had individuals intentionally fake the answer on three different personality tests for three different jobs, presenting themselves as the ideal candidate for each job. The results showed that these individuals ended up with completely different profiles for each of the jobs and each profile closely matched either the traits that the employer was seeking or traits of current employees. The study concluded that the results supported the hypothesis that individuals applying for jobs answer dishonestly on personality tests to distort their scores to portray themselves in a more positive manner.

The most obvious problem that can arise in an employee being dishonest on a personality test is that they may not truly be a good match for the job. This can lead to low job satisfaction and poor production. The consequences for dishonesty on personality tests can be even more severe in clinical or counseling setting as this could lead to improper or inaccurate treatment of a patient. I do believe that there are concerns with the psychometrics of personality tests as they seem rather easy to manipulate. Creating a test that is more complex and more difficult to manipulate would be beneficial to both the individual administering the test and the test taker as it would provide accurate information.