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