HRM701 Chapter 6 Practice Test
Which of the following correlation coefficients is indicative of the strongest correlation?
-0.9
Which of the following conditions represents a test that could be described as "construct valid"?
A researcher gives a test of "job satisfaction" to a group of participants and checks to make sure that his results correlate with other measures of satisfaction.
Which of the following refers to the use of selection tests to measure applicant KSAOs against competencies for the job?
person-job fit
Which of the following types of test measures dispositional characteristics such as extroversion, inquisitiveness, and dependability?
personality tests
Giving applicants a clerical aptitude test and then tracking their performance six months later is an example of which of the following?
predictive validity
Which of the following refers to the degree to which selection procedures yield comparable data over a period of time?
reliability
Which of the following represents an essential factor in the selection procedure, regardless of the selection methods used?
reliable and valid
Which of the following most accurately represents the typical steps in the selection process?
Candidates are interviewed in the initial stages and again the late stages of the process.
A situational interview asks the applicant what he or she actually did in a given situation. :TorF
F
A validity coefficient of -1.00 indicates the complete absence of a relationship between the predictor and criterion data.:TorF
F
Although many organizations are encouraging applicants to apply for jobs online, this practice slows down the application process.:TorF
F
Application forms should always require relevant dates, including date of birth. :TorF
F
Aptitude tests measure what a person knows or can do right now. :TorF
F
Asking an applicant for an accounting position to solve accounting problems similar to those encountered on the job is an example of construct validity. :TorF
F
Behavioural description interviews are based on hypothetical situations. :TorF
F
Compared to other psychological tests, handwriting analysis is an unreliable predictor of personality. :TorF
F
Concurrent validity involves testing applicants and obtaining criterion data after they have been on the job for some indefinite period.:TorF
F
Conscientiousness refers to the degree to which someone is trusting, amiable, cooperative, and flexible. :TorF
F
Correlation (validity) coefficients range from 0.00 to 1.00.:TorF
F
Credit checks are the most common form of reference check. :TorF
F
Drug testing is used much more frequently in Canada than in the United States.
F
Employers are required by law to provide references for former employees.:TorF
F
If an organization's selection procedures yield comparable data over a period of time, the procedures are valid.:TorF
F
In large organizations, supervisors are usually responsible for making job offers and notifying applicants of selection decisions.
F
In most instances, employers can legally use polygraph tests to screen applicants. :TorF
F
In order to understand more about applicants, interview questions should be customized to a particular individual's interests and background.
F
Medical examinations are usually conducted before an offer of employment is made.
F
Predictive validity is assessed when the test scores of job applicants are held against the performance data for existing employees.:TorF
F
Strategies for selecting managerial and technical people are relatively similar.
F
The situational interview is a variation of the unstructured interview. :TorF
F
Written letters of reference are very valid in the selection of employees. :TorF
F
Measuring KSAOs of an applicant against the competencies required for the job is called person-organization fit.:TorF
False
Reliability refers to the extent to which two methods yield similar results, but not to the agreement between two or more raters.:TorF
False
Compare and contrast the following four interview approaches: (1) nondirective interview, (2) structured interview, (3) situational interview, and (3) behavioural description interview.
In a nondirective interview, the interviewer allows the applicant the maximum amount of freedom in determining the course of the discussion. The interviewer asks broad, general questions, but permits the applicant to talk freely with little interruption. The greater freedom afforded to the applicant in the nondirective interview is particularly valuable in bringing to the interviewer's attention any information, attitudes, or feelings that may be concealed by a more structured approach. However, the unstructured nature of this approach limits the consistency of information provided and makes it difficult to cross-check agreement with other interviewers. Thus, the reliability and validity of the nondirective approach is suspect. The structured interview has a number of standard questions asked of each job applicant. Questions are job-related based upon job analysis. Since applicants are asked identical questions, the structured interview provides a more consistent basis for evaluating job candidates. This interview strives to maximize the validity of selection decisions. With the situational interview, the applicant is given a hypothetical incident and asked to respond how he or she would handle it. Responses are evaluated relative to pre-established standards. Behavioural description interviews focus on actual work experiences in the applicant's past. The behavioural questions ask the applicant what he or she actually did in a given situation. This interviewing approach assumes that past performance is the best predictor of future performance.
Which of the following is NOT a reason why interviews are popular as a selection method?
Interviews are the most valid method of selection.
Which of the following best describes drug testing in the selection process?
It is conducted by very few Canadian organizations.
What does a selection ratio of .9 mean?
It means 90 percent of the applicants applying to the position will be hired.
Which of the following best describes credit reports?
Organizations must advise and receive written consent from the applicant they request a credit report.
Define the concepts of reliability and validity.
Reliability describes the degree to which interviews, tests, and other selection procedures yield comparable data over a period of time. For example, if an interviewer judges the capabilities of a group of applicants differently today than yesterday, his or her judgment is unreliable. Reliability can also be determined by inter-rater reliability or agreement between two or more raters. Selection decision data that are unreliable cannot be used as predictors of job success. Validity refers to what a selection procedure measures and how well it measures it. For personnel selection, validity indicates the extent to which data from a selection procedure are predictive of job performance or other relevant criteria. In order for a test to be valid, it must also be reliable. However, reliability does not assure validity.
Which of the following best describes the use of reference checks?
Some organizations have detailed forms for previous employers to fill out in order to get the best information.
"Tell me about the last time you disciplined an employee" could be a behavioural description interview question. :TorF
T
"Tell me more about your experiences on your last job" is an example of a nondirective interview question. :TorF
T
A comprehensive analysis of honesty tests reveals that they are valid for predicting theft, disciplinary problems, absenteeism, and job performance. :TorF
T
A validity coefficient of 0.00 indicates the complete absence of a relationship between the predictor and criterion data.:TorF
T
Although widely used, employment interviews pose potential concerns about validity. :TorF
T
Because of the physical differences between the genders, physical ability tests should be carefully validated on the basis on the essential functions of the job. :TorF
T
Behavioural description interviews appear to be more effective than situational interviews, especially for higher-level positions. :TorF
T
Content validity is the most direct and least complicated type of validity to assess.:TorF
T
Criterion-related validity is the extent to which a selection tool predicts or correlates with important elements of work behaviour.:TorF
T
Data obtained from nondirective interviews are difficult to validate. :TorF
T
HRM specialists have found that panel interviews lead to higher reliability and faster decision times than one-to-one interviews.
T
Human rights legislation severely limits the types of medical inquiries and examinations that employers may use.
T
If a work sample test includes major job functions and predicts job success, it has content validity. :TorF
T
In general, the criterion-related method of assessing selection test validity is preferred over other methods because it is based on empirical data.:TorF
T
It is estimated that at least 30 percent of applicants stretch the truth on their résumés.:TorF
T
It is much easier to measure what individuals can do than what they will do.
T
Measuring construct validity requires linking a psychological test to job performance.:TorF
T
Most organizations require application forms to be completed because they provide a fairly quick and systematic means of obtaining a variety of information about the applicant.:TorF
T
Online applications can speed up the selection process, combine information, and disseminate promising leads to hiring managers more efficiently.:TorF
T
Personality tests measure such things as agreeableness, extroversion, and openness to experience. :TorF
T
Predictive and concurrent validity are determined by comparing test scores with supervisor performance ratings.:TorF
T
Since biographical information blanks rarely have obviously right or wrong answers, they are difficult to fake.:TorF
T
Situational interviews ask applicants how they would respond, while behavioural description interviews ask applicants how they did respond. :TorF
T
Studies have shown that an objective scoring of biographical information blanks and application forms is one of the most potentially valid methods that can be used to predict job success.:TorF
T
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is an example of a cognitive ability test. :TorF
T
The closer the content of the selection instrument to actual work samples or behaviours, the higher the content validity.:TorF
T
The federal government relies extensively on employment testing in the selection process. :TorF
T
The higher the overall validity of a selection procedure, the greater the chances of hiring individuals who will be the better performers.:TorF
T
The premise of a behavioural interview is that "past performance is the best predictor of future performance.":TorF
T
Typically, a computer interview requires candidates to answer a series (75-125) of multiple-choice questions tailored to the job.
T
Validity refers to what a selection procedure measures and how well it measures it.:TorF
T
Video interviews have the advantages of speed and cost-effectiveness.
T
Organization B is using an interview that requires a panel of three interviewers to complete. The company has found that about half of the time, the interviewers disagree in their ratings such that some members of the panel give the candidate a high rating, while others give the same candidate a low rating. What is the best way to describe the situation?
The interview that Organization B is using is not reliable
A scatter plot that represents the relationship between test scores and performance on the job with a test that is NOT valid would look like which of the following descriptions?
There is very little or no pattern in the dots.
Which of the following best captures the current state of thinking on the use of biographical information blanks?
They are a very valid method of predicting job success
Which of the following best describes personality tests?
They can inadvertently discriminate against individuals who would otherwise perform effectively.
Why are biographical information blanks difficult for applicants to fake?
They rarely have obviously right or wrong answers.
In most organizations, selection is an ongoing process:TorF
True
Person-organization fit has become more of a focus in firms that need teamwork and flexibility.:TorF
True
When trying to achieve person-organization fit, managers will pass up potential employees who don't embrace the values of the company even if they have excellent job skills.:TorF
True
Tell me about the last time you disciplined an employee" is an example of which of the following?
a behavioural description interview question
Which of the following measures mental capabilities such as general intelligence, verbal fluency, numerical ability, or reasoning ability?
a cognitive ability test
Which of the following types of test is the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)?
a cognitive ability test
Organization T uses a decision-making model in which an applicant is allowed to score poorly in one area of the selection tests, as long as he or she scores very high in another area. What is this type of decision-making model called?
a compensatory model
If an organization did not hire a person who was described as low in predicted success and low in job performance, that situation would be called which of the following?
a hit
Which of the following types of interview allows the applicant the maximum amount of freedom in determining the course of discussion?
a nondirective interview
Organization Omega is hiring 20 new front-line employees. The company is using an interview that involves three people taking turns asking questions and then pooling their scores of the responses. What is this type of interview called?
a panel interview
Which of the following is a legal means of screening out applicants who pose a security risk?
a pencil and paper honesty test
Omega Organization is using a selection test that asks questions like "I tend to work on projects alone" and "I know what is expected of me in social situations." What kind of test is this?
a personality inventory
Organization Beta is hiring 20 new staff for front-line positions. The interview the company is using involves giving the applicant hypothetical incidents and asking how he or she would respond. What is this type of interview called?
a situational interview
Which of the following refers to an interview in which an applicant is given a hypothetical incident and is asked how he or she would respond to it?
a situational interview
Which of the following types of interview provides the greatest consistency or standardization with respect to the questions asked?
a structured interview
Asking a candidate for an auto mechanic position to disassemble and reassemble a carburetor is an example of which of the following?
a work sample test
Delta Organization is using a selection test that asks questions requiring the applicant to draw logical conclusions from a series of scenarios. What kind of test is this?
an aptitude test
Which of the following lists of information sources about job candidates is ranked from most useful to least useful?
applications, background checks, graphology
Which of the following is appropriate to ask on an application form?
asking if the applicant is eligible to be bonded
Organization C has developed a new selection system. The company is interested in determining if the system predicts performance on the job, so Organization C gave the selection tests to 100 existing employees. What is the best way to describe this process?
assessing concurrent validity through a criterion-related validity study
Six months ago, Organization A used a new selection system to hire 100 front-line staff members. With six months of performance data in hand, Organization A is interested in determining if its new selection system predicts performance on the job. What is the best way to describe this process?
assessing predictive validity through a criterion-related validity study
When would an applicant be rejected during the selection procedure?
at any step in the procedure
Why would an organization use an integrity test?
because not only do these tests reduce theft, but they also have been shown to have a relationship with performance on the job
Why has interest in person-organization fit been increasing?
because of organizations' increased need for teamwork and flexibility
Which of the following should the selection decision should focus on?
both "can-do" and "will-do" factors of the applicant
How can you obtain a higher validity coefficient?
by combining two or more tests or other predictors
Intelligence, mechanical comprehension, and anxiety are examples of which of the following?
constructs
Which of the following terms refers to the extent to which good performance on a test correlates with high marks on a performance review?
criterion-related validity
What is one of the most important processes in establishing validity?
cross-validation
Which of the following is the process in which a test or test battery is administered to a different sample (drawn from the same population) for the purpose of verifying the results obtained from the original validation study?
cross-validation
Which of the following is currently the most effective way to assess a person's honesty during the selection process?
integrity testing
Questions contained in structured job interviews should be based on which of the following?
job analysis
The "can do" factors of an applicant include which of the following?
knowledge, skills, abilities
A manager is examining the number of applicants for a job compared to the number of people needed to be hired. What is this figure called?
the selection ratio
Which of the following terms refers to the degree to which inferences drawn from interviews, test scores, and other selection procedures are supported by evidence (such as good job performance)?
validity
Organization X applies validity data from another similar job situation to its own organization. What is this process called?
validity generalization
Which of the following types of test is increasingly being aided by computer simulations?
work sample tests
Identify and explain the five primary types of employment tests.
• Cognitive ability tests measure mental capabilities such as general intelligence, verbal fluency, numerical ability, and reasoning ability. • Personality and interest inventories measure dispositional characteristics such as extroversion, inquisitiveness, and dependability. • Physical ability tests assess a job candidate's physical abilities such as strength and endurance. • Job knowledge tests are a type of achievement test designed to measure a person's level of understanding about a particular job. • Work sample tests, or job sample tests, require the job applicant to perform tasks that are actually part of the work required on the job.