Ch. 9 External Selection II

Applicants tend to react very negatively to the interview

False

Research suggests that job knowledge tests have relatively poor validity in predicting job performance

False

Substantive assessment methods are used to reduce the applicant pool to candidates

False

Situational interviews assess an applicant's ability to project what his/her behavior would be in the future.

True

Socially desirable responding, or presenting oneself in a favorable light, doesn't end once someone takes a job

True

Some critics argue that because emotional intelligence (EI) is so closely related to intelligence and personality, once you control for these factors, EI has nothing unique to offer

True

Some organizations have begun to screen out those who smoke tobacco

True

Surveys are the most common means of assessing personality

True

The true validity of measures of general cognitive ability is roughly .50

True

The two major types of ability tests are aptitude and achievement

True

There are some jobs for which drug and alcohol testing is mandated by law

True

Which of the following cognitive abilities appear to reflect general intelligence? A. verbal abilities B. quantitative abilities C. reasoning abilities D. All of the above are correct

D. All of the above are correct

Which of the following is a source of error or bias in unstructured interviews? A. Low reliability between interviewers. B. Nonverbal cues from interviewees influence interview ratings. C. Primacy effects. D. All of the above are true.

D. All of the above are true.

This personality trait is associated with better performance, higher job satisfaction, and lower adaptability on the job. A. Neuroticism B. Extraversion C. Agreeableness D. Conscientiousness E. Openness to experience

D. Conscientiousness

Validities for cognitive ability tests appear to be culturally specific, with far lower validities in the European Union relative to the United States

False

This personality trait is associated with more creativity, effective leadership, and a lower commitment to one's employer. A. Neuroticism B. Extraversion C. Agreeableness D. Conscientiousness E. Openness to experience

E. Openness to experience

80% of organizations use some sort of ability test in selection decisions.

False

A low-fidelity test uses realistic equipment and scenarios to simulate the actual tasks of the job

False

An organization may not require medical exams of an applicant, nor make a job offer conditional, pending the results of a medical exam

False

Cognitive ability tests are excellent predictors for executive and professional jobs, but they are of no value for entry level, clerical, or blue collar jobs

False

Contingent assessment methods are always used in the selection process

False

Currently, personality tests are viewed as having no validity whatsoever as selection methods

False

Discretionary assessment methods are used to reduce the candidate pool to finalists for a job

False

Drug testing methods have become so accurate that it is no longer considered necessary to use retesting to validate samples from an initial screening test

False

Evidence suggests that faking or enhancement almost never occurs on personality tests

False

Evidence suggests that most applicants have relatively positive reactions towards personality testing

False

Extraversion is associated with higher levels of creativity and adaptability

False

Federal law prohibits drug testing for a majority of jobs.

False

Interest inventories play a key role in organizational selection decisions

False

Interviewer evaluations of applicant integrity are usually very good, and experts like judges and psychologists can detect lying most of the time.

False

Measures of emotional intelligence are a valuable supplement to personality tests in a selection context, because they have little similarity to personality

False

Measures of specific cognitive abilities do not reflect general intelligence

False

Most experts agree that cognitive ability cannot be measured accurately by standardized tests.

False

Organizations may make medical inquiries or require medical exams prior to making a job offer

False

Performance tests and work samples assess applicants' underlying capacities and dispositions.

False

Performance tests are a useful indicator of some job skills, but they need to be supplemented with other predictors because they do not have high content validity.

False

Records for medical exams of established employees must be kept in relative confidence, although most jurisdictions allow for this information to be shared with supervisors and members of the work group if the employer deems it wise

False

Research has found that structured interviews do not add validity in predicting job performance beyond cognitive ability tests

False

Studies suggest that drug users are no more likely to be involved in accidents or to be injured at work.

False

The Big Five personality test is used to describe emotional and cognitive traits that capture 20% of an individual's personality

False

The Wonderlic Personnel test is prohibitively expensive for most organizations, because it requires long face-to-face sessions with a trained psychologist

False

The biggest reason cognitive tests are not widely used in selection is the difficulty associated with their administration

False

The construct of "integrity" is well understood

False

The major distinction between job knowledge and situational judgment tests is that the former deals with future hypothetical job situations, and the latter explicitly taps the content of the job

False

The starting point for the structured interview is the job rewards matrix

False

The traits measured by Big Five personality tests are measures of factors brought about entirely by life environments, and not by genetics

False

There is little controversy over the use of personality measures in personnel selection.

False

There three types of validity studies considered acceptable by the UGESP include face validity, construct validity, and administrative validity

False

Selection for team contexts ____. A. is not much different than for selection in general B. should emphasize both interpersonal and self-management KSAOs C. should not involve members of the team, because that only leads to resentment D. all of the above

B. should emphasize both interpersonal and self-management KSAOs

Which of the following is true regarding the use of personality tests in the selection process? A. Emotional stability is a much more valid predictor of job performance when it is measured narrowly. B. The aspect of emotional stability that is more relevant to job performance is stress proneness. C. The Core Self-Evaluations Scale has not been shown to have much validity in predicting job performance. D. None of the above.

D. None of the above.

The difference between black and white test takers on cognitive ability tests has been _____. A. demonstrated to be an artifact of question wording B. decreasing over time C. lower when tests are given in an open-ended format D. both b and c

D. both b and c

Work samples and performance tests are useful for a broad range of jobs, although they are difficult to use in __________ jobs. A. customer service B. assembly C. bank teller D. none of the above

D. none of the above

The biggest reason why cognitive ability tests are not more widely used is _____________. A. they are too expensive. B. they are too time-consuming. C. they are difficult to administer. D. they have an adverse impact on minorities.

D. they have an adverse impact on minorities.

What are the most useful personality traits, in order, for selection contexts? A. Concientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion B. Emotional stability, conscientiousness, openness to experience C. Agreeableness, openness to experience, extraversion D. Extraversion, conscientiousness, emotional stability

A. Concientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion

________ assessment methods are used to reduce the candidate pool to finalists for a job. A. Initial B. Substantive C. Discretionary D. Contingent

B. Substantive

Which of the following is a characteristic of a typical unstructured interview? A. It is usually carefully planned. B. The interviewer makes a quick and final evaluation of the candidate C. It consists of formal, objective questioning. D. The interviewer is highly prepared.

B. The interviewer makes a quick and final evaluation of the candidate

Which of the following is true regarding drug testing? A. Applicants were twice as likely to be tested for alcohol use as drug use. B. The rate of drug testing has declined slightly in recent years C. Upper-level employees are more likely to be tested than lower-level employees. D. All of the above are true.

B. The rate of drug testing has declined slightly in recent years

The best description of UGESP is that they are _____. A. regulations for drug testing in the workplace B. a set of federal regulations related to selection systems as covered by the Civil Rights Act C. a set of regulations relating only to disabled individuals D. regulations that deal only with gender equity and job selection

B. a set of federal regulations related to selection systems as covered by the Civil Rights Act

Measures which assess an individual's capacity to function in a certain way are called ______. A. interest inventories B. ability tests C. personality tests D. knowledge tests

B. ability tests

Situational judgment tests ______. A. have very high adverse impact B. involve applicants' descriptions of how they would behave in work scenarios C. are based on applicants' evaluations of photographs D. have very low validity

B. involve applicants' descriptions of how they would behave in work scenarios

A concern regarding the use of cognitive ability tests is adverse impact against African Americans

True

A medical examination for employees is defined the same way as for job applicants

True

A typical unstructured interview often contains highly speculative questions.

True

Although applicants probably do sometimes fake their answers on integrity tests, the evidence suggests that such faking does not completely eliminate the validity of these tests in predicting job performance and deviant workplace behavior.

True

Any selection procedure that has an adverse impact is deemed discriminatory by the UGESP unless it has been shown to be valid

True

Applicant appearance may be a source of error or bias in an unstructured interview

True

Conscientiousness is a trait that is associated with better job performance, higher job satisfaction, better leadership performance, and higher retention

True

Contingent assessment methods are used to make sure that tentative job offer recipients meet certain qualifications for the job

True

Discretionary assessment methods are typically highly subjective and rely heavily on the intuition of the decision maker

True

Drug test results can be very accurate with low error rates, if the proper procedures are followed

True

Individuals who have high emotional intelligence are self-aware (good at recognizing their own emotions), other aware (good at recognizing others' emotions), and good at making use of or managing this aware-ness

True

Individuals who have higher levels of agreeableness tend to have lower levels of career success and are less able to cope with conflicts

True

Individuals who use drugs have been shown to have higher levels of absenteeism and counterproductive work behaviors.

True

Integrity tests are paper-and-pencil or computerized tests that attempt to assess an applicant's honesty and moral character

True

Interest inventories tend to be more tied to the occupation, rather than the organization or the job.

True

It is unlawful to screen out individuals with disabilities, unless the selection procedure is job-related and consistent with business necessity.

True

Performance tests and work samples are readily accepted by applicants as job relevant

True

Personality tests and ability tests are examples of substantive assessment methods

True

Physical ability tests are becoming increasingly common to screen out individuals susceptible to repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome

True

Sensory/perceptual abilities tests assess the ability to detect and recognize environmental stimuli.

True

The Meyers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) is an example of an interest inventory

True

The UGESP addresses the need to determine if a selection procedure is causing adverse impact, and if so, the validation requirements for the procedure

True

The interview is the central means through which an applicant can learn about the job and organization.

True

When developing structured interviews, one or more questions must be constructed for each KSAO targeted for assessment by the structured interview

True

Which of the following is true regarding research on the validity of personality tests? A. Conscientiousness predicts performance across occupational groups. B. Openness to experience does not predict training performance. C. Extraversion predicts job performance for most jobs. D. All of the above are true.

A. Conscientiousness predicts performance across occupational groups.

Which of the following items is a major principle pertaining to selection under the Americans with Disabilities Act? A. It is unlawful to screen out individuals with disabilities unless the procedure is consistent with a business necessity B. It is unlawful to screen out individuals with disabilities for any reason C. It is unlawful for employers to require employees to physical agility tests in a selection context D. The employer can retain the right to refuse to hire individuals with disabilities if customers have a strong preference for not encountering disabled staff

A. It is unlawful to screen out individuals with disabilities unless the procedure is consistent with a business necessity

Which of the following is true regarding the Big Five personality factors? A. They are reasonably valid in predicting job performance. B. They represent emotional traits. C. They represent cognitive abilities. D. None of the above.

A. They are reasonably valid in predicting job performance.

Drug tests are not common for many jobs because _____? A. drug tests do not "catch" many people B. the law essentially bans drug tests for all jobs not involving operating a vehicle C. drug tests are extremely expensive D. the tests produce a massive number of false positive results

A. drug tests do not "catch" many people

Research has shown that most of the effect of cognitive ability on performance is due to the fact that intelligent employees have greater _____. A. job knowledge B. presentation skills C. social networking capacity D. diligence

A. job knowledge

Organizations may not ______ prior to making a job offer? A. make medical inquiries B. conduct background checks C. discuss job responsibilities D. none of the above

A. make medical inquiries

The correlation between structured interviews and cognitive ability tests is ____________. A. positive B. zero C. moderately negative D. very negative

A. positive

Research studies have found ___________ support for the validity of job knowledge tests? A. relatively strong B. no support C. very weak D. some

A. relatively strong

The type of structured interview that assesses an applicant's ability to project what his/her behavior would be in the future is the ____________ interview. A. situational B. experience-based C. projective D. KSAO-based

A. situational

The process of administering tests that place applicants in hypothetical, job-related situations and asking them to choose a course of action among several alternatives is called _____________. A. situational judgment tests B. behavioral implementation tests C. work sample tests D. Job simulation tests

A. situational judgment tests

Applicants' reactions to interviews tend to be _________. A. very favorable B. somewhat favorable C. neutral D. somewhat unfavorable

A. very favorable

This personality trait is associated with more helping behaviors, teamwork, and difficulty in coping with conflicts. A. Neuroticism B. Extraversion C. Agreeableness D. Conscientiousness E. Openness to experience

C. Agreeableness

Which of the following statements is false? A. There is little evidence that people fake their scores on personality tests in the hiring contexts B. When individuals believe their scores are being used for selection, their observed scores tend to increase C. Faking has a negative impact on the validity of personality tests D. None of the above statements is false

C. Faking has a negative impact on the validity of personality tests

Which of the following is not one of the five-factor model personality traits __________. A. Conscientiousness B. Extroversion C. General mental ability D. Neuroticism

C. General mental ability

Which of the following inquiries can be made prior to giving a job offer? A. Questions about history of illegal drug use B. Psychological exams designed to detect mental illness C. Oral or written questions about the existence of a disability D. None of the above

C. Oral or written questions about the existence of a disability

Which of the following is(are) true based on research regarding interviews? A. The validity of structured interviews is low. B. Situational interviews are less valid than job-related interviews. C. Panel interviews were less valid than individual interviews. D. All of the above are true.

C. Panel interviews were less valid than individual interviews.

Which of the following is a recommendation for the use of drug testing programs? A. Drug testing should be done with all jobs. B. Do not inform applicants of the test results. C. Provide rejected applicants with an opportunity to appeal. D. All of the above

C. Provide rejected applicants with an opportunity to appeal.

Which of the following is true regarding cognitive ability tests? A. Cognitive ability tests are among the least valid methods of selection. B. Cognitive ability tests do not generalize to a wide range of organizations and jobs. C. There is reason to believe cognitive ability tests will be associated with positive financial returns. D. All of the above are true.

C. There is reason to believe cognitive ability tests will be associated with positive financial returns.

Which of the following is true regarding integrity tests? A. Their use has declined in the past decade. B. They are used to reduce employee accidents. C. They are usually paper-and-pencil or computerized measures. D. The construct of integrity is well understood.

C. They are usually paper-and-pencil or computerized measures.

The most widely used test of general mental ability for selection decisions is the _____. A. MMPI B. Myers-Briggs C. Wonderlic Personnel Test D. Job Characteristics Inventory

C. Wonderlic Personnel Test

Interest inventories are designed to improve person job match by assessing applicant preferences for different types of work. Research suggests that these inventories ____. A. are about as predictive of job performance as ability tests B. are more predictive of job performance than ability tests C. are not strongly predictive of job performance D. are prohibited by law

C. are not strongly predictive of job performance

The UGESP requires employers to ____. A. keep records based on religion and marital status for all employees B. perform a local validation study for every subgroup of employees C. consider suitable alternative selection procedures if one of the selection techniques has adverse impact D. assess employee history of drug abuse

C. consider suitable alternative selection procedures if one of the selection techniques has adverse impact

The first step of the structured interview process is __________. A. selecting and training interviewers B. developing the selection plan C. consulting the job requirements matrix D. developing selection goals

C. consulting the job requirements matrix

The assessment method which involves the use of very realistic equipment and scenarios to simulate actual tasks of a job is called a(n) ________ test. A. job knowledge B. psychomotor C. high fidelity D. low fidelity

C. high fidelity