Counterproductive Behavior Index ™ (CBI)

The CBI is a contemporary integrity test—a cost-effective screening procedure for identifying job applicants whose behavior, attitudes, and work-related values are likely to interfere with their success as employees. The CBI consists of an objective questionnaire with 140 true/false items that can be completed by the job applicant in about 15 minutes. There are two forms of the test. One form is administered, scored, and interpreted by computer. It yields an objectively generated report addressing degree of potential concern about the six major areas identified above, a measure of Overall or total concern, and an assessment of self-serving response bias.

The other form is a paper-and-pencil version in which applicants answer the questions on an answer sheet that is then hand-scored and profiled by the test administrator, yielding the same information as the computer-based version. The content of the two forms is identical, and there is no reason to believe that the scores yielded by the two forms are not comparable.

The Eight CBI Scores

Either by using the scoring key (for the paper-and-pencil version) or automatically (with the computer-based version), the CBI yields eight scores.

The basic meaning of the scores are as follows:

Dependability Concerns. Low scorers are dependable, conscientious, and reliable. High scorers can be undependable, careless, lazy, and disorganized.

Aggression Concerns. Low scorers handle their feelings well and are unlikely to be disruptive. High scorers can be aggressive, hostile, disruptive, and have poor control of their anger.

Substance Abuse Concerns. Low scorers have no problems with alcohol and/or illegal drugs. High scorers report substantial use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs and may be disruptive.

Honesty Concerns. Low scorers have no problem with workplace dishonesty. High scorers  have the potential for dishonest behavior in the workplace.

Computer Abuse Concerns. Low scorers use their workplace computers only for work-related uses. High scorers use their computers in ways that are unrelated to their work activities or are disruptive to their work.

Sexual Harassment Concerns. Low scores are unlikely to engage in sexual harassment at work. High scorers have attitudes and behaviors regarding sexuality that are likely to be considered as harassment by the opposite sex.

Overall Concerns. Low scorers report few instances of workplace deviance. High scorers report a wide range of deviant behaviors in the workplace and are likely to be problematic employees. (The Overall Concerns score is included in order to help identify applicants whose individual scale scores might all fall below the cutting score for inclusion in the Concern category, but whose total score does identify them as worthy of special attention. It is important to note that high Overall scores still require a close examination of the six individual scale scores.)

Good Impression. Low scorers are open about acknowledging their normal faults and imperfections. High scorers deny normal shortcomings and exaggerate personal virtues, suggesting that their scores on the other scales may be artificially depressed by their efforts to make a good impression. Scores on this scale can be used to determine the degree of confidence that should be placed in the remainder of the profile.