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Effects of intelligence and gender role self-concept on response patterns and components of the cognitive process in falsification

Falsification behavior is a serious problem in psychological diagnostics. However, knowledge about falsification behavior and the underlying cognitive process is limited, and understanding falsification behavior is the first step towards its prevention and detection.

It has been shown that crystallized and fluid intelligence (gc and gf) influence falsification behavior. There is also evidence that men and women differ in their falsification behavior. However, since studies to date have examined biological sex and not psychological gender, the psychological processes behind it (in the sense of the gender role self-concept) are unclear. Current studies also show that falsification behavior takes place at the item level, thus pointing to the need to examine response patterns.

The research questions of the multi-method project are therefore:

1) Where exactly in the response pattern do people's falsified answers differ depending on intelligence and gender?

Machine learning is used to answer this question because our own preliminary work shows that machine learning can identify differences in response patterns at the item level.

2) How do cognitive elements of the falsification process (e.g. encoding, retrieval, assessment, response transmission) differ depending on intelligence and gender?

The quantitative approach (machine learning) is supplemented by the qualitative analysis of test subject statements in order to gain deeper insights into the cognitive process of falsification. Three studies are to be conducted in the project. In Study 1, ideal profiles for two professions and two diagnostic procedures are created in order to make the quality of falsification behavior (deviation from the ideal profile) measurable. In Study 2, faking good and faking bad for these professions are analyzed in relation to intelligence and gender role self-concept using machine learning. In Study 3, test subjects are asked about their thoughts while falsifying in order to gain insights into the cognitive process that accompanies falsification. The results expand on previous research by combining the investigation of response patterns and the cognitive process of falsification with individual differences in falsification depending on intelligence and gender. This is intended to provide deeper insights into falsification processes depending on intelligence and gender and to achieve implications for the prevention and detection of falsification.

 

Project leader

  • Dr. Jessica Röhner, Personality Psychology and Psychological Diagnostics, Institute of Psychology, University of Bamberg.


Partners

  • Prof. Dr. Astrid Schütz, Chair of Personality Psychology and Psychological Diagnostics, University of Bamberg.
  • Prof. Dr. Ute Schmid, Professor of Applied Computer Science, especially Cognitive Systems, University of Bamberg.
  • Dr. Alexander Pastukhov, Chair of Personality Psychology and Psychological Diagnostics, University of Bamberg.
  • Heiko Kellner, Chair of Personality Psychology and Psychological Diagnostics, University of Bamberg.


Funding

  • DFG (project number: 538784935, funding amount: 558,429 euros, applicant: Dr. Jessica Röhner)