Self-Reports in Work and Organizational Settings

Introduction

Self-report as a method of psychological assessment had its beginning in 1918, when Robert S. Woodworth published the first personality inventory, the Personal Data Sheet. The items (116) were questions to the respondents. For example: ‘Do you feel well and strong?’ (1) to ‘Do you like outdoor life?’ (116). The response format was Yes/No. The inventory was developed during the latter stages of World War I to aid mental health officers in the US Army to identify recruits who might be susceptible to psychometrics (Dubois, 1970). Later on, Robert G. Bernreuter modified the Woodworth inventory and applied it to US business and industry for the purposes of personnel selection, placement, transfer and retention-termination (Berneuter, 1931).

From these early beginnings throughout the 20th century to the present, ...