Week 3 Workplace Psychology: Predictors of Performance and Psychological Assessments

Learning Objectives

• Validity and Reliability
  • Describe and contrast different types of validity and reliability in assessments
  • Evaluate the validity and reliability of various personnel selection methods
• Personnel Selection Methods
  • Discuss controversies surrounding applicant tests and selection methods
  • Identify biases in interview contexts and ways to determine predictor quality within selection performance
  • Explain the issue of faking in tests and the testing methods that are most susceptible to it

Assessing Predictor Quality

• Predictors: Variables used to predict a criterion or outcome in the work environment (e.g., work sample tests, personality tests, cognitive tests)
• Psychometric Evaluation: The standards and processes used to assess quality of psychological assessments, focusing on reliability and validity
  • New measures require validation. Many psychologists use established measures proven to be reliable and valid across contexts.

Reliability Assessment

• Definition: Consistency, stability, or equivalence of test scores or behavior
• Types of Reliability:
  • Test-retest Reliability: Consistency of scores across repeated test administrations
  • Parallel Form Reliability: Consistency of scores between two versions of a test
  • Internal Consistency Reliability: Homogeneity of test items (e.g., measured by Cronbach’s alpha)
  • Inter-rater Reliability: Agreement among different observers or raters

Validity Assessment

• Definition: Accuracy of a test in measuring what it is intended to measure
• Types of Validity:
  • Construct Validity: How well a test represents intended constructs (e.g., intelligence, leadership)
  • Criterion-related Validity: Predictive capabilities of a test compared to actual criteria (job performance, etc.)
  • Concurrent Validity: Assessed at the same time
  • Predictive Validity: Assessed later
  • Content Validity: Completeness of the test in measuring its intended content
  • Face Validity: Does the test seem to measure what it claims to measure from a superficial view?

Types of Ability Tests

• Cognitive Ability Tests: Measure general intelligence. Found to be one of the most significant predictors for job performance.
• Physical Ability Tests: Assess different strength types such as static strength, stamina, and coordination.
• Psychomotor Ability Tests: Evaluate motor skills such as flexibility and coordination between muscle movements.
• Sensory/Perceptual Ability Tests: Measure the ability to detect and recognize stimuli (e.g., depth perception).

Personality Assessments

• Types:
  • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
  • Four dichotomies: Extraversion vs. Introversion, Sensing vs. Intuition, Thinking vs. Feeling, Judging vs. Perceiving
  • Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN)
  • Openness to experience
  • Conscientiousness
  • Extraversion
  • Agreeableness
  • Neuroticism

Assessing Faking in Personality Tests

• Faking: Altering responses to present a more favorable image
• Employment applicants may be more likely to engage in impression management
• Faking limited impact on criterion-related validity for personality tests

Situational Judgment Tests

• Definition: Scenarios presented to test-takers to evaluate their responses to work-related situations

Biodata Inventories

• Definition: Use of biographical information to predict future behavior
• Scoring:
  • Rational keying: Weighting based on underlying constructs
  • Empirical keying: Weighting based on predictive power regarding job performance
• Strengths: Demonstrated validity and effectiveness in predicting job success
• Weaknesses: Potential changes in person over time could impact accuracy

Other Selection Methods

• Work Sample Assessments: Practical tasks that simulate job duties, high validity especially for hands-on roles but costly
• Assessment Centers: Group settings to evaluate multiple performance dimensions, correlating with advancement
• Interviews:
  • Structured interviews produce more reliable outcomes compared to unstructured interviews
  • Types of questioning: Situational vs. Behavior Description

Controversial Assessment Methods

• Polygraph tests, emotional intelligence testing, and various survey methods still create debate among psychologists about their effectiveness and ethics

Summary of Evaluative Standards for Predictors

• Validity: Accuracy in predicting job performance
• Fairness: Consistency across different demographic groups
• Applicability: Usefulness across a variety of job types
• Cost: Economic considerations in implementing assessments