Understanding Faking Behavior Through the Lens of Motivation: An Application of VIE Theory

This article proposes a conceptual framework to explain faking behavior on self-report personality inventories. Unlike prior conceptualizations, this framework is simultaneously parsimonious yet inclusive. The theory posits that all determinants of faking behavior occur through valence, instrumentality, expectancy, or ability to fake. We review the faking literature to show how the multitude of factors found to influence faking can be concisely modeled within our framework. We intend for this theory to serve as a guide for future research on faking behavior, and we encourage researchers to explore and adopt the framework in the interest of enabling a more theoretically satisfying approach to the study of faking.