Psy 170 Exam 2

What are the four types of information that can be provided by references or letters of recommendation?

(1) Employment and education history, (2) evaluations of the applicant's character, (3) evaluations of the applicant's job performance, (4) the recommender's willingness to rehire the applicant

What are the two methods that can be used to test the "internal consistency" of employee screening tests?

(1) Split-half reliability: divide the test items into two equal parts and correlate the summed score on the first half of the items with that on the second half (2) determine the average intercorrelation among all items of the test. The resulting coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) is an estimate of the test's internal consistency

Why are references or letters of recommendation only of "limited importance"? In other words, why are they often not good indicators of actual job performance?

Applicants can choose their own sources for references and recommendations, so they will not choose someone who will give a bad recommendation.

What is construct validity and how is it assessed? How does convergent and divergent validity play a role in this?

Construct validity refers to whether an employment test measures what it is supposed to measure. Convergent validity refers to demonstrating that tests correlate positively with the results of other tests of the same construct. Divergent validity is demonstrating that a test should not correlate with tests or measures of constructs that are totally unrelated to mechanical ability

What is content validity and how is it assessed?

Content validity is the ability of the items in a measurement instrument to measure adequately the various characteristics needed to perform a job. It refers to whether a predictor measurement process adequately sample important job behaviors and elements involved in performing a job. It is established by having experts judge the appropriateness of the test items, taking into account information from the job analysis

What is criterion-related validity and how is it assessed?

Criterion-related validity is the accuracy of a measurement instrument in determining the relationship between scores on the instrument and some criterion of job success

What is the follow-up method of assessing predictive validity? What are advantages and disadvantages to using this approach?

In the follow-up method, the screening test is administered to applicants without interpreting the scores and without using them so select among applicants. Once the applicants become employees, criterion measures such as job performance assessments are collected. If the test instrument is valid, the test scores should correlate with the criterion measure. Once there is evidence of the predictive validity of the instrument, test scores are used to select the applicants for jobs Advantage: demonstrates how scores on the screening instrument actually relate to future job performance Disadvantage: the time that it takes to establish validity

What is the present-employee method of assessing concurrent validity? What are advantages and disadvantages to using this approach?

In the present-employee method, the test is given to current employees and their scores are correlated with some criterion of their current performance. Once there is evidence of concurrent validity, a comparison of applicants' test scores with the incumbents' scores is possible. Advantage: quicker estimate of validity Disadvantage: may not be as accurate as the predictive method because the job incumbents represent a select group and their test performance is likely to be high; in other words, there are no test scores for the "poor" job performers, such as those who were fired or quit or those who weren't hired

What are considerations to make when choosing between different test formats (i.e., individual vs. group tests, speed vs. power tests, paper-and-pencil vs. performance tests) for employee screening tests?

Individual vs group tests: Individual tests are administered to only one person at a time. The test administrator is more involved than in a group test. Group tests are designed to be administered simultaneously to more than one person, with the administrator usually serving as only a test monitor Group test advantage: reduced cost for administrator time Speed vs power tests: Speed tests have a fixed time limit. An important focus of a speed test is the number of items completed in the time period provided. A power test allows the test-taker sufficient time to complete all items. Typically, power tests have difficult items, with a focus on the percentage of items answered correctly Paper-and-pencil vs performance tests: Paper-and-pencil tests refers to both paper versions of tests and online tests, which require some form of written reply, in either a forced choice or an open-ended, "essay" format. Performance tests, such as typing tests and tests of manual dexterity or group strength, usually involve the manipulation of physical objects

How are "parallel forms" used to test the reliability of employee screening tests?

Parallel forms is a method of establishing the reliability of a measurement instrument by correlating scores on two different but equivalent versions of the same instrument. Reliability is empirically established if the correlation between the two scores is high.

What is reliability and why is it important that employee screening tests are reliable?

Reliability is the consistency of a measurement instrument or its stability over time. It is important to make sure that the scores/measurements are stable, consistent, and free of random error.

What is test-retest reliability?

Test-retest reliability is a method of determining the stability of a measurement instrument by administering the same measure to the same people at two different times and then correlating the scores.

What is the main purpose of job applications and resumes? Why are applications/resumes limited in predicting work performance?

They are used to collect biographical information such as education, work experience, and outstanding work or school accomplishments. You don't know how well they were at performing their job duties, only where they worked and for how long.

What is validity and why is it important that employee screening tests are valid?

Validity refers to the accuracy of a measurement instrument and its ability to make accurate inferences about a criterion. It refers to whether a set of measurements allows accurate inferences or projections about "something else" It is important that employee screening tests are valid because it can be used to determine future job success or whether an employee is meeting performance standards.

How are weighted job application forms different from regular job application forms?

Weighted application forms assign different weights to the various pieces of information provided on a job application.

How are work samples used to screen potential employees? What are the benefits of using work samples?

Work samples display the potential employees' skills. They can be valuable in predicting future job performance.