Industrial-Organizational Psychology Exam #2

Questionnaire

-also called Application Blank (AB); also such thing as a Weighted Application Blank (WAB)

-most commonly used selection method

Pros: easy, objective, permanent, and predictive

Cons: superficial, fakable, and legally restricted

Interview

-can be unstructured or structured (latter is preferable)

-stress interview: purposely creates stress to test how person will respond

situational interview: asks people what they would do in certain situations

Pros: deep, subjective, satisfying, and flexible

Cons: expensive, subjective, unreliable, invalid, biased, and reactive (snap judgements)

Reference

-potentially the worst method of prediction; bare minimum should be to follow up with a phone call

Pros: easy, verify facts, and highlight facts

Cons: nondiscriminatory, invalid, poor return rate, and fakable

Behavior Sampling

-most powerful method of prediction

-better for high level jobs

-Realistic Job Preview (RJP)

-Assessment Center (AC)

Pros: valid and acts as training

Cons: costly

AC

Physically separate unit of a large organization dedicated to assessing and predicting future performance

RJP

Allowing applicants to preview the actual job before being hired

Physical Testing

-abilities and medical tests

-usually selectors (a cut-off), rather than predictors

Psychological Testing

-psychometrics (measurement of the psyche; work in the creation of these tests)

-pseudotests: phony and do not accurately measure anything

-charlatanism: the use of pseudotests

-tests that are published have restrictions

Pros: aim to be valid, reliable, nonbiased, and easy

Cons: can be costly, complex, and biased and are legally restricted

Test Manuals

Must include the following:

1) Traits: what the test is measuring

2) Norms: how the test is scored

3) Reliability: correlating the test with itself (test-retest, alternate form, inter-rates, and split-half alpha)

4) Validity: correlating the test with behavior (criterion and predictive/concurrent)

History of Ability Tests

Catell: created mental tests in 1890

Binet: developed psychological tests for children

Terman: brought Binet’s tests to the American school system

Otis: developed the first test for the military from the child test

Wonderlic: took Otis’ test and created a test for industry

3 Types of Abilities

1) Intelligence (g): general ability

2) Aptitude (s): specific ability

3) Achievement: developed ability

3 Forms of Ability Tests

1) verbal vs. performance

2) individual vs. group

3) speed (time is a factor) vs. power (items are difficult)

Personality Tests

-no right or wrong answers (unlike ability tests)

-can measure counterproductive behaviors (violence, dishonesty, dependency, and malingering)

-objective vs. projective

Validation

Step 3 of Anastasi’s 4 steps; comparing Step 2 to Step 1 (using r for correlation)

Coefficient of Determination

r²; percentage of a criterion that is explained by a predictor

Coefficient of Nondetermination

1-r²; percentage of a criterion that is not explained by a predictor

Multiple Correlation

R; combines multiple predictors with a criterion (boosts prediction)

Moderator Variable

Any factor that may intervene between a predictor and a criterion (removal of moderator variables can improve prediction)

Decision Strategy

Step 4 of Anastasi’s 4 steps; how to best use valid predictors; false/true accept/reject quadrant; aim is to maximize true decisions and to minimize false decisions

Multiple Regression Model

Employees selection method that combines separate predictors of job success in a statistical procedure

Multiple Cutoff Model

Employee selection method using a minimum cutoff score on each of the various predictors of job performance

Multiple Hurdle Model

Employee selection model that requires that an acceptance or rejection decision be made at each of several stages in a screening process

Employment-at-will

Employees can be fired at any time for no reason

US Civil Rights Act of 1964

-”protected groups;” discrimination illegal

-formed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (protects protected groups)

Griggs v. Duke Power

-1971

-Supreme Court ruled that Duke Power’s test to achieve higher positions within the organization was illegal, as it negatively impacted black people despite a lack of intention

-set the stage for AA

Adverse Impact

Decision negatively affects a group, regardless of intention

Job-related

Test predicts future job performance (even if unequal), meaning it is legal; justifies continued use of test

Burden of Proof

Employer must prove that a test is not discriminatory

UGESP

-1978

-Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

-job related=predictive validity

-four-fifths rule: the selection ratio of a minority group should be at least four-fifths (80%) of the selection ratio of the majority group

Truth-in-Testing Law

-1980

-publisher of a test must prove the test is valid

ADA

-1990

-Americans with Disabilities Act

-used to only cover physical disabilities, but also widened to cover mental disabilties as well short after its inception

-employers must set up reasonable accommodations

-Bona fide occupational qualifications (BFOQs): reasons inherent to the job as to why disabled people can’t be hired

US Civil Rights Act of 1991

-banding: employer can pick the first 100 people to hire regardless of what group they are from

APA Technical Standards History

-1954: APA Technical Recommendations on use of psychological tests

-1965: APA Technical Standards on the use of tests (1 ed.): responded to CRA; more firm in its rules than previous version

-1985: (2 ed.)

2000: (3 ed.)