NCJ Number
99970
Journal
Security World Volume: 22 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1985) Pages: 33-38
Date Published
1985
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes commercial honesty tests used in preemployment screening and discusses the pros and cons of their use.
Abstract
First developed in 1950, honesty tests were used by more than 5,000 corporations to evaluate 2.3 million job applicants in 1984. Typically, an honesty test contains 100 or more questions assessing the potential employee's attitudes and experiences regarding theft, work, drug use, coworkers, and crime in general. Most security departments use these tests in conjunction with other methods such as polygraphs or a series of personal interviews. Firms using the tests have reported decreased theft and fewer employee problems after initiating honesty screening. One retail chain stopped using the polygraph when it found an 85-percent correlation between polygraph and written test results. Despite these successes and increasing use of the tests, they have been criticized on the grounds that applicants may fake responses, the tests may discriminate against honest people, and self-reports have problems predicting future behavior. In fact, a recent study found that validation of these tests was inadequate and that predictive validity of the tests was poor. More work in this area, particularly in validation, should result in tests that aid security. A list of tests and brief discussions of test legality and reviews are included.