Part 5 Predictors of Job Performance

CHAPTER

11

Ability Tests

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History of Ability Tests in Selection

Par Lahy Developed tests for use in the selection of street car operators for the Paris Transportation Society Army Alpha A World War I mental ability/intelligence test developed by the Psychology Committee of the National Research Council EEO laws and Supreme Court Decisions Initially decreased the use of some ability tests; use of tests in selection has increased recently.

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Definition of Ability Tests

Ability Tests Are standardized measures of some form of knowledge (e.g., physical, mental, mechanical, and clerical abilities) that results from formal learning experiences Traditional Forms of Ability Tests Aptitude tests

Measure knowledge acquired without formal training Measure current levels of previously acquired knowledge Note: All tests measure what a person has learned up to the time he or she takes the test.

Achievement tests

The distinction between Aptitude and Achievement

tests is irrelevant
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Mental Ability Tests

Development of Mental Ability Tests Binet and Simon

Developed an intelligence test to measure the mental age (academic achievement) of French school children Published as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale in the U.S. The first group-administered mental ability test to have widespread use in industry

Otis Self-Administering Test of Mental Ability

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What Is Measured by Ability Tests

Content and Academic Achievement Mental ability tests have been validated by correlating test scores with educational achievement as criteria. Measured Abilities Mental ability tests measure several distinct abilities but all tests do not measure the same abilities Scoring of Tests General tests provide an overall mental ability score Other tests either provide separate scores on each abilitiy, then sum scores to report a total score or they measure separate abilities and do not combine the scores into a general ability measure.
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TABLE 11.1

Abilities Measured by Various Mental Ability Tests

Figural Classification Orientation

Memory Span Numerical Fluency Spatial

Verbal Comprehension
Conceptual Classification Semantic Relations General Reasoning Conceptual Foresight

Visualization
Intuitive Reasoning Ordering Figural Identification Logical Evaluation

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The Wonderlic Personnel Test

Wonderlic Personnel Test Developed in 1938, in wide use thereafter Is a 50 multiple-choice item test taken in 12 minutes Contentvocabulary, commonsense reasoning, formal syllogisms, arithmetic reasoning and computation, analogies, perceptual skill, spatial relations, number series, scrambled sentences, and knowledge of proverbs. Primarily measures verbal comprehension, with deduction and numerical fluency being the next two factors in order of importance.

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TABLE 11.2

Example Items Similar to Items on the Wonderlic Personnel Test

NOTE: An (*) indicates the correct response.

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The Validity of Mental Ability Tests

Project A A multiple-year effort to develop a selection system appropriate for all entry-level positions in the U.S. Army Involved the development of 65 predictor tests that could be used as selection instruments Produced results indicating that general mental ability tests are valid selection instruments across a large variety of military jobs

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TABLE 11.3

Project A Validity Coefficients

SOURCE: Jeffrey J. McHenry, Laetta M. Hough, Jody L. Toquam, Mary A. Hanson, and Steven Ashworth, Project A Validity Results: The Relationship between Predictor and Criterion Domains, Personnel Psychology 43 (1990): 335354. 2008 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 1110

Validity Generalization Studies

Variations in Validity Validity coefficients for the same combination of mental ability tests and job performance measures differ greatly for studies in different organizations. These differences were thought to be caused by undetermined organizational factors that affected the correlation between selection instruments and criteria. Selection specialists concluded that a validation study is necessary for each selection program developed. Meta-analysis of differences indicates otherwise.
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TABLE 11.4

Selected Validity Generalization Results for Various Jobs

NOTE: Data for missing cells are not reported.

aFrank Schmidt, Ilene Gast-Rosenbery, and John Hunter, Validity Generalization for Computer Programmers, Journal of Applied Psychology 65 (1980): 643661. bFrank Schmidt, John Hunter, Kenneth Pearlman, and Guy Shane, Further Tests of the Schmidt -Hunter Bayesian Validity Generalization Procedure, Personnel

Psychology 32 (1979): 257281. cKenneth Pearlman, Frank Schmidt, and John Hunter, Validity Generalization Results for Tests Used to Predict Job Proficiency and Trai ning Success in Clerical Occupations, Journal of Applied Psychology 65 (1980): 373406.

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TABLE 11.5

Selected Validity Generalization Results for Mental Ability Tests Across Jobs

NOTE: Data for empty cells are not reported.

SOURCE: John Hunter, Cognitive Ability, Cognitive Aptitudes, Job Knowledge, and Job Performance, Journal of Vocational Behavior 29 (1986): 340362. 2008 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 1113

TABLE 11.6

Validity of Mental Ability and Other Selection Tests

SOURCE: Frank L. Schmidt and John E. Hunter, The Validity and Utility of Selection Methods in Personnel Psychology: Practica l and Theoretical Implications of 85 Years of Research Findings, Psychological Bulletin 124 (1998): 262274. 2008 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 1114

TABLE 11.7

Comparison of Eight Selection Methods with Cognitive Ability Tests

SOURCE: Richard Reilly and Michael Warech, The Validity and Fairness of Alternatives to Cognitive Tests, in Policy Issues in Employment Testing, ed. Linda C. Wing and Bernard R. Gifford (Norwell, MA: Kluwer, 1993). 2008 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 1115

Validity Generalization Studies

(contd)

Implications for Selection It is no longer necessary to conduct validity studies within each organization.

There are no organizational effects on validity; therefore the same predictor (selection instrument) can be used across all organizations. It is necessary only to demonstrate through job analysis that the job is similar to the job in the validity generalization study.

Task differences among jobs have little effect on

the validity coefficients of mental ability tests.

Differing information-processing and problem-solving demands of the job, not task differences themselves.

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Validity Generalization Studies

(contd)

Implications for Selection (contd) A general mental ability test score is as good a predictor of job performance as is a composite score from a test of specific abilities using multiple scales. Situational specificity required by the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures are not appropriate at this point in time.

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Mental Ability Tests and Discrimination

Differential validity The hypothesis that employment tests are less valid for minority group members than nonminorities.

The validities for the same selection test in the two groups are statistically significant but unequal due to cultural bias in the content of ability tests.

The consistent research conclusion is that differential

validity does not exist.

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FIGURE 11.1 Graph of 781 Pairs of Validity Coefficients

SOURCE: John Hunter, Frank Schmidt, and Ronda Hunter, Differential Validity of Employment Tests by Race: A Comprehensive Rev iew and Analysis, Psychological Bulletin 85 (1979): 721735. Copyright 1979 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission. 2008 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved.

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Mental Ability Tests and Adverse Impact

Research Findings Meta-analysis of differences among demographic groups in scores on cognitive ability tests has shown consistent and significant differences in mean test scores among racial/ethnic groups. d-Statistic Is the difference in means (e.g., white mean vs. black mean) divided by the sample-weighted average of the standard deviations Is a way of determining differences among groups as a function of differences within the groups.

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Conclusions
The use of ability tests requires careful attention by an organization in the development of its selection programs. The traditional viewpoint of validation studies within a single organization is outdated.

Cognitive ability tests are among the most valid of all selection tests for a large number of jobs.
While cognitive tests may exhibit adverse impact, their use in selection can be defended against claims of discrimination. The goals and values of an organization will influence its choices and uses of selection instruments.
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Mental Ability Tests and the Internet

Equivalence of Paper-and-Pencil and Electronic Tests Test-taking behaviors differ in the two testing environments. The use of technology does not appear to increase errors. The use of timed electronic tests can be technologically problematic. The interface design of electronic tests is an important concern.

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Testing on the Internet

Issues in Internet Testing The suitability of a particular type of test (mental ability vs. other kinds of tests) for use on the Internet Whether the test is used for selection or development The importance of the test score to the test taker The effects of cheating on the tests validity The cost and feasibility of measures to reduce cheating

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TABLE 11.8

Considerations Regarding the Use of Internet Tests

SOURCE: Adapted from Denise Potosky and Philip Bobko, Selection Testing via the Internet: Practical Considerations and Explo ratory Empirical Findings, Personnel Psychology 57 (2004): 10031034. 2008 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 1124

Effects of Coaching and Practice

Coaching Effects Training appears to have minimal effect on test scores. Practice Effects Repetition improves test scores due to:

A better understanding of the test format and methods of responding Reduction of test anxiety on subsequent tests Learning the specific skills tested

However, practice-increased scores did not translate

into increased job training performance

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Mechanical Ability Tests

Mechanical Ability Characteristics that tend to make for success in work with machines and equipment Testing Methods Manual performance (assembly/manipulation) Written problems Abilities Measured Spatial visualization Perceptual speed and accuracy Mechanical information

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Mechanical Ability Tests

(contd)

The Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test Is used for industrial jobs to measure the ability to perceive and understand physical forces and mechanical elements in practical situations. Uses pictures of familiar objects and scenes to ask questions requiring logical analysis. is best used for assessing applicant for positions that require a grasp of the principles underlying the operation and repair of complex devices. Is intended to measure an individuals aptitude for learning mechanical skills.

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TABLE 11.9

Example Items Similar to Items on the Minnesota Clerical Test

Name Comparison Neal Schmitt ____________________________ Hubert Feild ____________________________ Chris Riordan ____________________________ Tim Judge ____________________________ Murray Barrick ____________________________ Number Comparison 84644 ____________________________ 179854 ____________________________ 123457 ____________________________ 987342 ____________________________ 8877665994 ____________________________

Frank Schmidt Herbert Field Kris Reardan Jim Fudge Mick Mount

84464 176845 12457 987342 8876659954

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Physical Ability Tests

Reasons for Physical Ability Testing More female applicants for male-dominated jobs Reducing the incidence of work-related injuries To determine the physical status of job applicants Legal Issues in Testing Physical Abilities Adverse impact for scores on physical ability tests

Tests must clearly be linked to critical job tasks that require physical abilities in their completion Question is whether the tasks can be modified to reduce or eliminate these physical demands (i.e., reasonable accommodation for disabled applicants).

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Physical Ability Tests

(contd)

Physical Abilities Analysis Static strength Dynamic strength Explosive strength Trunk strength Extent flexibility Dynamic flexibility Gross body coordination Stamina

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TABLE 11.10 Three Components of Physical Performance

SOURCE: Based on Joyce C. Hogan, Physical Abilities, in Handbook of Industrial & Organizational Psychology, 2d ed., Vol. 2, ed. Marvin Dunnette and Leatta Hough (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1991). 2008 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 1131

TABLE 11.10 Three Components of Physical Performance (contd)

SOURCE: Based on Joyce C. Hogan, Physical Abilities, in Handbook of Industrial & Organizational Psychology, 2d ed., Vol. 2, ed. Marvin Dunnette and Leatta Hough (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1991). 2008 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 1132

Chapter Summary
Ability tests are Useful as valid predictors of job performance Cheap when purchased from a test publisher Fastmost take 30 minutes or less to complete Easyadministered individually or in group settings Versatilemay come in several languages Scorablehave a ready-made scoring key Understandablereflect knowledge that is job based Sometimes falsely marketed

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Key Terms and Concepts

Par Lahy Army Alpha Ability tests Aptitude tests Achievement tests Mental ability tests Binet and Simon Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
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Otis Self-Administering Test of Mental Ability Wonderlic Personnel Test Project A Differential validity d-statistic Physical ability tests

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