Instructional Effects on the Phase II Profile Honesty Test

Abstract

30 social scientists and 50 undergraduate students responded to the Phase II Profile, a widely used honesty test, with separate instructions to (1) answer candidly and, after two weeks had elapsed, to (2) answer as if the test needed to be passed to obtain a desirable job. Both groups changed a substantial number of responses suggesting that the test may be susceptible to “faking good.”