Ability–personality interactions when predicting job performance

Abstract

The general proposition that performance is a multiplicative function of ability and motivation has a long-standing history. Three recent studies have reported results that suggest that shifting from an additive model to a multiplicative model may improve efforts to predict performance. This article represents an extensive examination of this multiplicative proposition when motivation is conceptualized in terms of personality characteristics. The Project A database, the Management Continuity Study database, and 2 additional data sets were brought together to facilitate a systematic investigation concerning whether ability and personality interact when predicting performance. Contrary to expectations, the results indicate that ability–personality interactions are not detected at above chance levels. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)