Detection of aberrant responding on a personality scale in a military sample: an application of evaluating person fit with two-level logistic regression.

Person-fit assessment is used to identify persons who respond aberrantly to a test or questionnaire. In this study, S. P. Reise's (2000) method for evaluating person fit using 2-level logistic regression was applied to 13 personality scales of the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP; L. Clark, 1996) that had been administered to military recruits (N = 2,026). Results revealed significant person-fit heterogeneity and indicated that for 5 SNAP scales (Disinhibition, Entitlement, Exhibitionism, Negative Temperament, and Workaholism), the scale was more discriminating for some people than for others. Possible causes of aberrant responding were explored with several covariates. On all 5 scales, severe pathology emerged as a key influence on responses, and there was evidence of differential test functioning with respect to gender, ethnicity, or both. Other potential sources of aberrancy were carelessness, haphazard responding, or uncooperativeness. Social desirability was not as influential as expected.