Objective Measurement of Personality with HBR-Tools: Chances and Boundaries

Measuring personality is a complex task. Besides difficult content-based problems there are some psychometric issues to be met, i. e. socially desirable answering tendencies. The present study uses simulation-based objective personality measurement to meet these psychometric issues. Computer-based “guard” and “stray” scenars are developed and tested in two samples of Special Forces applicants respectively soldiers. A construct model has been predefined and used to develop behavioural markers in the scenars. These markers are the basis for the subsequent analysis. Results show that a substantial number of behavioural markers do not show sufficient variation and therefore have to be removed from further analysis. With the remaining markers the construct model is evaluated. The predefined model couldn’t be identified in the data, but an alternative model could be established at least for the “guard” scenar. Further development of the scenars is necessary in order to meet the requirements of an efficient and effective diagnostic instrument.