Psychological Testing for Selection Devices

Selection Devices

• Taylor-Russell Tables: Used to estimate the percentage of successful future employees based on selection ratio, base rate, and test validity.
• Proportion of Correct Decisions: Compares the accuracy of selection decisions with the percentage of successful employees.
• Lawshe Tables: Determines the probability of future success for an applicant using base rate, test validity, and applicant percentile on the test.
• Brogden-Cronbach-Gleser Utility Formula: Helps organizations determine the benefits of using a specific selection system.

### Personality Tests

• Self-Report Inventories: Measure characteristics, symptoms, or feelings by asking respondents to indicate how well items describe them.
• Projective Tests: Present ambiguous stimuli to elicit responses revealing personality traits.

### Advantages of Psychological Tests

• Improved Selection Process: More objective and efficient employee hiring.
• Objectivity: Provides numerical results, reducing subjective bias.
• Quantification: Provides a large amount of information quickly.
• Validity and Reliability: Tests are designed to be accurate and consistent.
• Predictive Quality: Tests can help predict future job performance.

### Limitations and Dangers of Psychological Tests

• Test Administration: Inadequate administration can lead to biased results.
• Unfair Decisions: Tests can lead to false positives (accepting unqualified candidates) or false negatives (rejecting qualified candidates).
• Faking Responses: Applicants may manipulate their answers to present a favorable impression.
• Test Anxiety: Anxiety or fear can negatively affect test performance.

### Unstructured Interviews

• Conversational Pattern: Unstructured discussions may deviate from job-related topics.
• Problems:
  • Poor Intuition: Hiring decisions based on subjective feelings.
  • Primacy Effect: First impressions heavily influence the entire interview process.
  • Contrast Effect: A previous applicant's performance can affect the perception of subsequent applicants.
  • Interviewer-Applicant Similarities: Applicants with similar characteristics may receive preferential treatment.
  • Appearance Bias: Physical attractiveness can influence hiring decisions.
  • Nonverbal Communication: Nonverbal cues (positive or negative) can impact interview results.

### In-Depth Interview

• Purpose: Gain comprehensive information through personal and oral inquiries.

### Interview Styles

• One-on-One Interview: Involves a single interviewer and the applicant.
• Serial Interview: Multiple interviews with different individuals (e.g., hiring manager, department head).
• Panel Interview: Multiple interviewers (usually 3-4) evaluate the applicant.
• Mass Interview: One interviewer assesses multiple applicants simultaneously.

### Testing and Assessment

• Purpose: Use psychological and standardized tests to measure behavior and cognition.

### Psychological Tests

• Purpose: Assess cognitive, emotional, and other aspects of individuals.

### Characteristics of Psychological Tests

• Standardization: Administered following strict and systematic procedures.
• Objectivity: Results based on numerical scores, minimizing bias.
• Norms: Reference point for comparing individual scores.
• Reliability: Consistent results across repeated tests.
• Validity: Measures what it claims to measure.
• Generalizability: Maintains validity and reliability across various contexts.

### Types of Psychological Tests

• Cognitive Ability Tests (Intelligence Tests): Assess various cognitive abilities.