Response bias continues to be the most frequently cited criticism of personality testing for personnel selection. The authors meta-analyzed the social desirability literature, examining whether social desirability functions as a predictor for a variety of criteria, as a suppressor, or as a mediator. Social desirability scales were found not to predict school success, task performance, counterproductive behaviors, and job performance. Correlations with the Big Five personality dimensions, cognitive ability, and years of education are presented along with empirical evidence that (a) social desirability is not as pervasive a problem as has been anticipated by industrial-organizational psychologists, (b) social desirability is in fact related to real individual differences in emotional stability and conscientiousness, and (c) social desirability does not function as a predictor, as a practically useful suppressor, or as a mediator variable for the criterion of job performance. Removing the effects of social desirability from the Big Five dimensions of personality leaves the criterion-related validity of personality constructs for predicting job performance intact.

Role of social desirability in personality testing for personnel selection: The red herring

Cyberbullying, self-esteem, empathy and loneliness

Use of alcohol protective behavioral strategies among college students: a critical review.

BACKGROUND: The international outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led many countries to enforce drastic containment measures It has been suggested that this abrupt lockdown of populations will foster addiction-related habits such as caloric/salty food intake, screen use, and substance use OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the global changes and factors of increase in addiction-related habits during the early COVID-19 containment phase in France METHODS: A web-based survey was provided from day 8 to day 13 of the containment and was completed by 11,391 participants The questions explored sociodemographic features, psychiatric/addiction history, material conditions of lockdown, general stress, mental well-being, and reported changes in several addiction-related behaviors Global changes were described and factors of increase were explored using population-weighted and adjusted logistic regression models, providing adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and their 95% confidence intervals RESULTS: Overall, the respondents reported more increases in addiction-related habits than decreases, specifically 284% (caloric/salty food intake), 646% (screen use), 356% (tobacco use), 248% (alcohol use), and 312% (cannabis use) Reduced well-being scores and increased stress scores were general factors of increase in addiction-related habits (P<001 for all habits) Factors of increase in caloric/salty food intake (n=10,771) were female gender (aOR 162, 95% CI 148-177), age less than 29 years (P<001), having a partner (aOR 119, 95% CI 106-135), being locked down in a more confined space (per 1 square meter/person decrease: aOR 102, 95% CI 101-103), being locked down alone (aOR 129, 95% CI 111-149), and reporting current (aOR 194, 95% CI 162-231) or past (aOR 127, 95% CI 109-147) psychiatric treatment Factors of increase in screen use (n=11,267) were female gender (aOR 131, 95% CI 121-143), age less than 29 years (P<001), having no partner (aOR 118, 95% CI 106-132), being employed (P<001), intermediate/high education level (P<001), being locked down with no access to an outdoor space (aOR 116, 95% CI 105-129), being locked down alone (aOR 115, 95% CI 101-132), living in an urban environment (P<01), and not working (P<001) Factors of increase in tobacco use (n=2787) were female gender (aOR 131, 95% CI 111-155), having no partner (aOR 130, 95% CI 106-159), intermediate/low education level (P<01), and still working in the workplace (aOR 147, 95% CI 117-186) Factors of increase in alcohol use (n=7108) were age 30-49 years (P<05), a high level of education (P<001), and current psychiatric treatment (aOR 144, 95% CI 110-188) The only significant factor of increase in cannabis use (n=620) was intermediate/low level of education (P<001) CONCLUSIONS: The early phase of COVID-19 containment in France led to widespread increases in addiction-related habits in the general population Reduced well-being and increased stress were universal factors of increase More specific factors were associated with increases in each of the explored habits

/pdf/correction-global-changes-and-factors-of-increase-in-caloric-tbphzk6xia.pdf

Correction: Global Changes and Factors of Increase in Caloric/Salty Food Intake, Screen Use, and Substance Use During the Early COVID-19 Containment Phase in the General Population in France: Survey Study

Background: The international outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led many countries to enforce drastic containment measures. It has been suggested that this abrupt lockdown of populations will foster addiction-related habits such as caloric/salty food intake, screen use, and substance use.
Objective: Our aim was to assess the global changes and factors of increase in addiction-related habits during the early COVID-19 containment phase in France.
Methods: A web-based survey was provided from day 8 to day 13 of the containment and was completed by 11,391 participants. The questions explored sociodemographic features, psychiatric/addiction history, material conditions of lockdown, general stress, mental well-being, and reported changes in several addiction-related behaviors. Global changes were described and factors of increase were explored using population-weighted and adjusted logistic regression models, providing adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and their 95% confidence intervals.
Results: Overall, the respondents reported more increases in addiction-related habits than decreases, specifically 28.4% (caloric/salty food intake), 64.6% (screen use), 35.6% (tobacco use), 24.8% (alcohol use), and 31.2% (cannabis use). Reduced well-being scores and increased stress scores were general factors of increase in addiction-related habits (P<.001 for all habits). Factors of increase in caloric/salty food intake (n=10,771) were female gender (aOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.48-1.77), age less than 29 years (P<.001), having a partner (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.06-1.35), being locked down in a more confined space (per 1 square meter/person decrease: aOR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03), being locked down alone (aOR 1.29, 95% CI 1.11-1.49), and reporting current (aOR 1.94, 95% CI 1.62-2.31) or past (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09-1.47) psychiatric treatment. Factors of increase in screen use (n=11,267) were female gender (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.21-1.43), age less than 29 years (P<.001), having no partner (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.06-1.32), being employed (P<.001), intermediate/high education level (P<.001), being locked down with no access to an outdoor space (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), being locked down alone (aOR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.32), living in an urban environment (P<.01), and not working (P<.001). Factors of increase in tobacco use (n=2787) were female gender (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11-1.55), having no partner (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06-1.59), intermediate/low education level (P<.01), and still working in the workplace (aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.17-1.86). Factors of increase in alcohol use (n=7108) were age 30-49 years (P<.05), a high level of education (P<.001), and current psychiatric treatment (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.10-1.88). The only significant factor of increase in cannabis use (n=620) was intermediate/low level of education (P<.001).
Conclusions: The early phase of COVID-19 containment in France led to widespread increases in addiction-related habits in the general population. Reduced well-being and increased stress were universal factors of increase. More specific factors were associated with increases in each of the explored habits.

/pdf/correction-global-changes-and-factors-of-increase-in-caloric-3wruyjggu5.pdf

Social desirability biases in self-reported alcohol consumption and harms.

Objective:Many students report using strategies believed to reduce risk of harm from consumption of alcohol. The effectiveness of these strategies was tested in this study.Method:A sample of 442 undergraduate students (50.5% female) was asked to report how many alcoholic drinks they consumed on a recent drinking occasion, which protective strategies were used, and which harms were experienced.Results:Although reported use of more protective strategies was associated with less consumption, it appeared to be unrelated to harmful consequences. More detailed analyses suggested that only a small subset of strategies (primarily those concerning the manner of drinking) was consistently associated with reduced consumption and/or harms.Conclusions:The findings cast doubt on the efficacy of protective strategies or at least the validity of the self-report instruments used to assess these strategies.

Assessing the protective value of protective behavioral strategies.

Many cannabis users do not report experiencing harm from use, suggesting that not all use is cause for concern. The objective of this research is to establish a threshold beyond which cannabis use becomes problematic. Thresholds from the cannabis portion of the Alcohol, Smoking, Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and the Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test (CUDIT) were compared against a simple frequency of use question (daily use) for their ability to identify problematic users. Data are drawn from the 2008 Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey (n = 16,674). Effectiveness of the thresholds for predicting signs of problematic use was assessed in terms of sensitivity and specificity and in terms of positive and negative predictive values (NPV). The ASSIST (threshold of 8) and the CUDIT (thresholds of 6 and 8) outperformed the frequency measure with regards to sensitivity and specificity; the CUDIT with a threshold of 6 struck the best balance. With regards to positive predictive...

Assessing problematic cannabis use

https://isiarticles.com/bundles/Article/pre/pdf/35414.pdf

Jennifer Thake

Papers

Social desirability biases in self-reported alcohol consumption and harms.

Assessing the protective value of protective behavioral strategies.

Assessing problematic cannabis use

Neuroticism, BIS, and reactivity to discrete negative mood inductions

Impression managers: Nice guys or serious criminals?