I-O Psychology Chapter on Individual Differences

Fundamental Assumptions of the Individual Differences Model

• I-O psychologists assume different jobs require different attributes.
• Adults possess various attributes that remain relatively stable over time.
• Attributes are measurable accurately.

Fleishman's Taxonomy of Abilities

• Fleishman's taxonomy groups 52 abilities into three categories: cognitive, perceptual-motor, and physical abilities.

Measures of "g"

• "g" measures assess knowledge acquisition, reasoning ability, and problem-solving ability.
• Predictive value of "g" tests increases with job complexity.

The Five Factor Model (FFM)

• The FFM describes typical responses to people and events.
• It highlights personality's importance in job performance.
• It's based on statistical and conceptual analysis.

Integrity and the FFM

• High integrity is often associated with high scores in Emotional Stability, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness.

Faking on Personality Tests

• Faking may not be deliberate since personality involves self-presentation.
• Self-efficacy and faking are sometimes conflated.
• Candidates often try to portray the ideal applicant image.

Skills and Competencies

• Skills are practiced actions.
• Competencies are combinations of skills, knowledge, abilities, and personality traits.
• Competencies enable successful job performance.

Test Batteries and Types of Tests

• Test batteries consist of multiple tests, not a single one.
• Speed tests have strict time limits, often causing many test takers to fail to complete the test.
• Speed tests' focus on time may not be fair.
• Psychomotor ability tests involve tasks requiring dexterity and coordinated limb movement, ranging from simple actions to complex actions.
• Screen-out tests identify psychopathology, while screen-in tests identify variations of normal personality.

Criticisms of Individual Assessments

• Some individual assessments aren't as rigorously validated as other methods.
• Some summaries may be skewed by only a few aspects of the evaluation process.
• Many individual assessments infringe on candidate privacy.

Interview Types and Methods

• Situational interviews require candidates to describe how they'd address hypothetical workplace situations (e.g., handling a dissatisfied client).
• Work sample tests use assessments that closely simulate real workplace conditions.

Incremental Validity

• Incremental validity describes when a new assessment adds value beyond existing methods, like an interview improving prediction beyond a cognitive ability test.

Graphology

• Graphology assesses personality traits based on handwriting characteristics.

Drug Tests

• Drug tests primarily predict absenteeism or involuntary termination.