SR

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