Hogan Assessment Hogan Development Survey (HDS) 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which HDS scale is most closely associated with unconventional thinking, creativity taken too far, and appearing 'out of touch' with practical realities?
- Colorful
- Imaginative (Correct answer)
- Mischievous
- Excitable
Correct answer: Imaginative
The Imaginative scale describes individuals whose creative thinking can become eccentric or impractical in organizational settings.
Question 2: A leader with an elevated Bold scale score is most likely to struggle with which leadership behavior?
- Setting a compelling strategic vision for the organization
- Acknowledging mistakes, accepting criticism, and incorporating feedback (Correct answer)
- Managing ambiguity and working in unstructured environments
- Building initial enthusiasm and buy-in for new initiatives
Correct answer: Acknowledging mistakes, accepting criticism, and incorporating feedback
Bold individuals have an inflated sense of self-worth and resist feedback, making learning from failure very difficult.
Question 3: In the HDS model, how many primary scale dimensions are assessed?
- 7
- 9
- 11 (Correct answer)
- 13
Correct answer: 11
The HDS measures 11 scales corresponding to personality-based risk factors that can derail career success.
Question 4: The HDS was developed by Hogan and Hogan drawing primarily on which classification system?
- The Big Five personality taxonomy
- DSM personality disorder categories (Correct answer)
- Holland's RIASEC occupational types
- McClelland's motivational needs theory
Correct answer: DSM personality disorder categories
The 11 HDS scales were conceptually grounded in DSM personality disorder clusters, translated into subclinical, workplace-relevant terms.
Question 5: Which of the following situations is MOST likely to trigger HDS derailers in a high-performing executive?
- Working on a routine project with clear guidelines
- Navigating a high-stakes merger with tight deadlines and ambiguity (Correct answer)
- Mentoring a junior employee on a familiar technical skill
- Leading a team that has historically produced strong results
Correct answer: Navigating a high-stakes merger with tight deadlines and ambiguity
Derailers surface most reliably under conditions of high stress, uncertainty, and pressure—exactly what a complex merger produces.
Question 6: A team member who scores high on both HDS Mischievous and Bold would most likely exhibit which combined derailment pattern?
- Avoiding risk and deferring decisions to avoid blame
- Overconfident rule-breaking with little accountability when things go wrong (Correct answer)
- Excessive caution paired with passive resistance to authority
- Dramatic emotional swings followed by social withdrawal
Correct answer: Overconfident rule-breaking with little accountability when things go wrong
Bold provides entitlement and resistance to feedback, while Mischievous adds impulsivity and limit-testing, creating an unchecked risk-taking pattern.
Question 7: In HDS score interpretation, what does a score at the 90th percentile on a given scale indicate?
- The individual performs significantly better than peers on that dimension
- The individual shows a high risk of displaying that derailing behavior under pressure (Correct answer)
- The individual lacks development in that competency area
- The scale score is invalid and should be discarded
Correct answer: The individual shows a high risk of displaying that derailing behavior under pressure
High percentile scores on HDS scales indicate elevated likelihood that the described behavior will emerge, particularly under stress.
Hogan Assessment Hogan Development Survey (HDS) 4
Which HDS scale is most closely associated with unconventional thinking, creativity taken too far, and appearing 'out of touch' with practical realities?