One of the dirty little secrets in the assessment business is the way that assessments are validated. There are no formal systematic approaches for the validation of tests that are easy for tests users, not versed in statistics, to follow.
Psychometric assessments provide detailed understanding of a candidate’s cognitive abilities, behavioural and personality style, values and motivations.
People naturally want to put their best foot forward in a selection process, particularly if they really want the job. However, we also like to think that people have sufficient levels of integrity not to engage in cheating behaviour.
It’s a job you really want and the first interview went well. Now they’ve got you sitting in front of a computer in a testing room. You have been given the instructions and tried some example questions. The administrator has left the room and the ability test has begun. Seven minutes fifty-nine seconds, seven minutes [...]
New Zealand’s attitude of integrating ethnicities while maintaining their identity is somewhat unique in the world. For example, in France, it is forbidden by law to collect statistics referring to ‘racial or ethnic origin’.
As I/O psychologists we are extremely reliant on the accuracy of the data that is presented to us. Decisions are made on the basis that what is presented is indeed factual and accurate. But how much data is ever cross-examined?
A fundamental question around the value of personality testing that has been raised is the basis for traits in the first place. As a foundation, we must look to neuroscience and genetics.
Faking in personality tests exists. Anyone who tries to deny this is either a liar or deluded. The question is what this means for the application of personality tests for selection.
One of the myths I have long spoken about is the idea that there are great differences between various psychological tests. In essence, the argument is that if there is a science to personality, or cognitive ability, what they measure must be similar.
Self-report tools have clear limitations to the measurement of personality and this is confounded by the nonsense that we can tap unconscious personality using self-report measures of behavioural preferences.
