Chapter 4: Predictors: Psychological Assessments
Assessing the Quality of Predictors
Reliability: standards for evaluating tests that refers to the consistency, stability, or equivalence of test scores.
Test-Retest reliability: reveals the stability of test scores upon repeated applications of test
Equivalent-form reliability: reveals equivalence of test scores between two versions or forms
Internal-consistency reliability: homogeneity of items in test
Inter-rater reliability: degree of agreement among the assessments provided by 2 or more raters
Validity: standard for evaluating tests that refers to accuracy or appropriateness of drawing inferences from test scores.
Construct validity: degree of which a test if an accurate and faithful measure of the construct it purports to measure; actually measures the idea it says it's measuring
BINNING & BARRETT CONSTRUCT VALIDATION
Criterion-related validity: degree to which a test forecasts or is statistically related to a criterion; validity coefficient (stats index that reveals the degree of association between two variables; often to predict)
Content validity: degree to which subject matter experts agree that the items in a test are a representative sample of domain of knowledge the test says it's measuring
Face validity: does it look like items are appropriate for test by people who are taking the test
The purpose of testing: test is one way to learn about person's knowledge, skills, abilities and personality; no 1 method is better
Questions: right or wrong answer
Inventories: levels; personality tests
3 Types of testing in organizations
- low-stake: help individual but no baring on organization
- moderate-stakes: results might influence organization's status
- high-stakes: direct consequence to individual; being hired by organization or being promoted
Test Content
Mechanical Aptitude: recognize mechanical principles; predictive of performance in manufacturing/production jobs; men do better than women
Personality
Big 5 Personality Theories
Openness to experience: curious, imaginative and unconventional
Conscientiousness: purposeful, determined, organized, controlled
Extraversion: social, outgoing
Agreeableness: cooperative, easy to get along
Neuroticism: calm, emotionally balanced
Dark Triad: 3 personality disorder associated with counterproductive work behavior
Machiavellianism: get your way by manipulating other people
Narcissism: self-important
Psychopathy: lack any concern for other people; emotionally shallow
Faking personality assessments
Integrity
Overt-integrity test
Personality-based measures
Situational Judgment
Testing on Internet
Testing in Retrospect
Intelligence: g: general mental ability (predictor of success in most jobs)
Academic: typical measures such as fluency with words and numbers
Practical: needed for competent in everyday world
Creative: produce original and appropriate work
Predictor Development
Two dimensions:
- Whether predictor seeks to measure directly the underlying logical construct in question (mechanical) or measure a sample of the same behavior to be exhibited on the job.
- Whether it seeks to measure something about the individual in the past or present (current)
Interviews
Degree of structure
Unstructured interview: questions are different for each candidate
Structured interview: questions are consistent for all candidates; interviewer's always a little subjective
Situational interviews: candidates are given hypothetical problem and ask how they'd solve it
Work sample and situational exercises
Work sample: a type of personnel selection test where candidates demonstrates proficiency on task representative of work performed on the job
Situational exercise: method of assessment where candidates are given a problem and asked how they'd respond
Assessment Centers: technique for assessing job candidate using a series of structured, group-oriented exercises that evaluated by raters
management level personnel
evaluated in groups of 10 - 20
several raters
number of performance dimensions
wide variety of performance appraisals methods/exercises (i.e. oral presentation, interview, role plays)
Physical Abilities Testing
Static strength
Explosive strength
gross body coordination
stamina
Biographical information: method of assessing people in which info pertaining to past activities, interests, and behaviors in their lives are considered
Letters of Recommendation
Drug Testing/substance abuse
Controversial methods of assessments
Polygraph
Tests of emotional intelligence (construct that reflects a person's capacity to manage emotional responses in social situations
Overview and evaluations of predictors
- Validity: ability of predictor to forecast criterion perfectly
- Fairness: ability of predictor to render unbiased predictions of job success in applicants with various backgrounds
- Applicability: whether the selection method can be applied across full range of jobs
- Cost of implementing method
3 aspects of job related experience
Personal attributes: affected by exposure to work-related settings and activities
Perceived outcomes of experience: mean we attach to our experience
Aspects of experience judged relevant and important: deterrme from perspective of evaluation of experience