Chapter 9: Selection Tests

Job Knowledge Tests

1. Assess knowledge of duties involved in a particular job 2. Level of experience with, and knowledge about, critical job tasks and tools necessary to perform a job

Integrity Tests

1. Clear purpose/Overt 2. General purpose/Veiled purpose Use has grown dramatically in the last decade

Big 5 Personality Factors

1. Conscientiousness 2. Emotional Stability 3. Extraversion 4. Openness to experience 5. Agreeableness

Testing Methods

1. Personality Tests 2. Ability Tests 3. Job Knowledge Tests 4. Performance Tests and Work Samples 5. Integrity Tests 6. Interest, Values, and Preference Inventories 7. Questionable Selections Tests 8. Your Research

Testing Design

1. Testing standardization 2. Scoring Objectivity 3. Normative data comparisons 4. Reliability (consistent results) 5. Validity (test measures what it says it measures)

Questionable Selection Tests

Graphology (handwriting analysis) Phrenology (Face reading) Astrology

Ability Tests

Measures that assess an individual's capacity to function in a certain way Types: 1. Psychomotor 2. Physical 3. Sensory/perceptual

Testing Advantages

Objectivity Cost effectiveness Validity Legal Defensibility

Selection Method Standards

Reliability Validity Generalizability Utility Legality

Objective Measures

Rules used to assign numbers to attribute are predetermined, communicated, and applied through a system

Subjective Measures

Scoring system is more elusive, often involving a rater who assigns the numbers

Interest, Values, and Preference Inventories

Assess activities individuals prefer to do on and off the job; do not attempt to assess ability to do these Not often used in selection Types: 1. Strong Vocational Interest Blank (SVIB) 2. Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI)

Performance Tests and Work Samples

Assess actual performance Types: 1. Performance tests v. work sample 2. Motor v. verbal work samples 3. High v. Low-fidelity tests 4. Computer interaction performance tests v. paper-pencil tests 5. Situational judgment tests

Content Validity Ratio Equation

CVR= [ne-(N/2)]/(N/2) n=number of experts that rate the item as essential N=total number of experts

Limitations of Cognitive Ability Tests

Concern over adverse impact and fairness of tests Cognitive ability tests are equally accurate predictors of job performance for various racial/ethnic groups, but blacks and Hispanics score lower than whites

Validation Methods

Criterion-related Validity Content Validity Construct Validity

Utility

Degree to which information from selection method enhances bottom line effectiveness

Generalizability

Degree to which on can extend validity to other contexts -different situations -different samples of people -different time periods

Criterion-related Validity

Determines a relationship between selection test scores and job performance

Construct Validity

How well does it measure a trait?

Content Validity

Test items are representative of the job situation Determined through expert judgment CVR

Testing Disadvantages

Tests to not measure motivation More predictive of failures than successes More group predictive than individual Dishonesty susceptibility Testing anxiety Subject to legal challenge

Reliability

The degree to which a measure is consistent over time

Validity

The extent to which performance on a measure is related to job performance