INP 4203 — Industrial-Organizational Psychology Exam Prep

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering measurement scales, test reliability, validity strategies, and performance management/selection methods for INP 4203 Industrial-Organizational Psychology.

Nominal Scale

Lowest level of measurement; classifies by kind/label without numerical magnitude (e.g., gender, jersey numbers).

Ordinal Scale

Classifies categories in order of magnitude ($A > B > C$), but distances between points are unequal (e.g., top 3 race horses).

Interval Scale

Equal distances between measurement points, but lacks an absolute/natural zero point (e.g., test scores, temperature).

Ratio Scale

Highest level of measurement; features equal intervals AND an absolute zero point (e.g., height, weight).

Scale Coarseness

Measurement error caused by collapsing continuous underlying constructs into limited categories (e.g., Likert scales).

Test Reliability

Freedom from unsystematic/random measurement errors; consistency of scores across occasions or items.

Reliability Ceiling Rule

Reliability is necessary for validity, but validity is not required for reliability; reliability sets the upper limit for validity.

Test-Retest Reliability

Administering the same test to the same group at two different times; sensitive to the time interval between tests.

Internal Consistency

Consistency of items within a single measure; evaluated using Cronbach's alpha, KR-20, or split-half methods.

Interrater Reliability

Degree of agreement between two or more independent raters scoring the same candidate/event.

Acceptable Reliability Level

Ideally $0.90$ or higher for high-stakes decisions, though $0.70$ is generally considered acceptable in applied practice.

Test Validity

The accuracy of inferences made regarding specific uses of a test score; a continuous investigative process rather than a binary trait.

Content-Related Validity

Evidence showing a test contains a fair, representative sample of the job performance domain/KSAOs (e.g., work samples).

Predictive Criterion Validity

Test scores gathered from applicants; candidates hired without using scores; correlation evaluated against performance data later.

Concurrent Criterion Validity

Test scores and performance data collected simultaneously from current employees; ignores job experience and motivation effects.

Nomological Network

A theoretical system of interrelated concepts and laws linking observable behaviors to underlying psychological constructs.

MTMM Matrix

Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix used in construct validation to demonstrate convergent and discriminant validity.

Range Restriction

Occurs when test data is evaluated on a homogeneous/pre-screened group; artificially lowers validity coefficients.

Range Enhancement

Occurs when a predictor is validated on a sample more heterogeneous than the target population; inflates validity coefficients.

Synthetic Validity

Inferring overall job validity by analyzing specific job components/elements and combining elemental validities.

Validity Generalization

Demonstrating that test validity generalizes across settings/jobs, refuting the situational specificity hypothesis.

Test Transportability

Reusing a test validated elsewhere by proving job similarity, applicant similarity, and prior validity/fairness.

Purpose of PM

Strategic alignment of individual goals with company objectives, developmental feedback, and administrative decisions.

Leniency / Severity Bias

Consistently rating all employees too easy (lenient) or too hard (severe); controlled via forced distributions.

Central Tendency Bias

Rating all employees near the middle of the scale regardless of true performance differences.

Halo Effect

Rating an employee uniformly high or low across all dimensions based on a single overall impression or trait.

Relative Rating Systems

Comparing employees directly to one another (e.g., simple ranking, paired comparisons, forced distribution).

Absolute Rating Systems

Evaluating employees against a fixed performance standard (e.g., BARS, graphic rating scales, critical incidents).

Frame-of-Reference Training

Rater training aimed at establishing a common reference point for effective performance to reduce rating biases.

Yield Ratios

The percentage of applicants who successfully advance from one step of the selection process to the next.

Realistic Job Previews

Providing candidates balanced info (pros & cons); most effective when candidates have unrealistic expectations.

Structured Interview

Selection interview using job-analysis based questions, standardized scoring anchors, and identical administration.

Contrast Effect Bias

Evaluating a candidate incorrectly high or low due to the immediate context of the candidate evaluated before them.