Assessment of Personality through Behavioral Observations in Work Simulations

Abstract

This study outlines the development of a rating scale designed to measure personality- related behavior in the context of work simulations. The tool, labeled the Work Simulation Personality Rating Scale (WSPRS), was validated in an assessment center by rating the personality of 123 assessment center participants. Scores from the WSPRS were correlated with corresponding traits from a self-reported personality inventory, and a trait activation potential (TAP) framework was adopted to predict which traits would display best convergence based on assessment center observations. Correlations between the WSPRS dimensions and self-report trait scales ranged from .11 (Neuroticism) to .31 (Extraversion), with the rank-order of convergence exactly reproducing the ordering of the TAP judgments made by the experts.