title: Dissociating Indifferent, Directional, and Extreme Responding in Personality Data: Applying the Three-Process Model to Self- and Observer Reports.
abstract: Research suggests that respondents vary in their tendency to use the response scale of typical (Likert-style) questionnaires. We study the nature of the response process by applying a recently introduced item response theory modeling procedure, the three-process model, to data of self- and observer reports of personality traits. The three-process model captures indifferent, directional, and extreme responding. Substantively, we hypothesize that, and test whether, trait Honesty-Humility is negatively linked to extreme responding. We applied the three-process model to personality data of 577 dyads (self- and observer reports of the HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised; Lee & Ashton, ) of Dutch and German undergraduate respondents. First, we provide evidence that indifferent, directional, and extreme responding can be separated from each other in personality data through the use of the three-process model. Second, we show that the various response processes show a pattern of correlations across traits and rating sources which is in line with the idea that indifferent and extreme responding are person-specific tendencies, whereas directional responding is content-specific. Third, we report findings supporting the hypothesis that Honesty-Humility is negatively linked to extreme responding. In Likert-based personality data, applying the three-process model can unveil individual differences in the response process.
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen.
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zettler
authors.affiliation: Ghent University.
authors.forename: Jonas W B
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Maastricht University.
authors.forename: Ute R
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Hülsheger
authors.affiliation: University of Landau.|Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
authors.forename: Benjamin E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Hilbig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D055815:Young Adult