“Test‐wiseness” on Personality Scales1

Test‐wiseness on self‐report personality scales was explored, using measures of accuracy in estimating the frequency of endorsement of personality items, estimating their social desirability, and identifying and “keying” items that measured the same factor, as well as indices of ability to change scores on standard personality scales when they were administered with “fake‐good” and “fake‐bad” instructions. These variables generally did not correlate with each other, and they had only moderate and scattered correlations with personality scales administered with standard instructions. The test‐wiseness measures were generally uncorrected with ability and cognitive style tests and defensiveness scales, but they did correlate consistently with social desirability response style scales.