Exam 2

Question 1

What are the 5 assessment methods used for Selection?

Answer 1

1 Psychological test
2. Biographical
3. Information Forms
4. Interview
5. Work Sample
6. Assessment Center

Question 2

Psychological test

Answer 2

A standardized series of problems or questions that assess a particular individual characteristics, commonly used to assess many KSAO. Has multiple items.
Advantages:
* Enhance reliability
* Provide content validity
* Test variations include: Group, Individual, ‘Paper & Pencil’, performance, power, speed.

Question 3

Group vs. Individual Tests

Answer 3

Group test: Can be administered to several people at once. Can be printed form or computer administration from anywhere. Often concerns about cheating, test security, who has assess to the tests and making sure the assigned ppl are taking the tests.

Individual test: Test administrator gives test to a single test taker at a time. Necessary when administrator has to score the items as the test proceeds, or an apparatus is invloved that only one person can use at a time.

Question 4

Paper/Pencil vs Performance

Answer 4

Paper/Pencil test: a series of questions or problems that can be multiple choice or written response. Normally administered via computer but can be given paper exam and a seperate answer sheet.

Performance test: involves the manipulation of apparatuses, equipment, materials or tools. Can help measure level of skill. Most widely used performance test is a typing test which can measure speed and accuracy.

Question 5

Power vs Speed

Answer 5

Power test: gives test taker almost unlimited time to complete the tests

Speed test: has a strict time limit and is designed so that almost no one can finish all the items in the alloted time. ACT and SAT are great examples. Disadvantages if person is a slow reader/ writer or a slow test taker.

Question 6

Cognitive Ability Tests

Answer 6

A test that assesses cognitive or mental abilities, such as mathematical or verbal reasoning. The most common being intelligence, IQ, metal abilities. Can measure any differences in abilities related to info processing.

Involves g
“A very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience” (Arvey et al., 1995)
o Strong relationship to job performance

Question 7

Physical Abilities

Answer 7

Just like w/ cognitive abilities, the key is measuring the right abilities for the job.
Gender & age differences exist:
* Older individuals have less muscle, stamina, and flexibility
* Women have less muscle mass and lower levels of stamina
* Men have lower levels of flexibility
* *Armour Star meat packing case

Question 8

Physical Abilities: Psychomotor Abilities

Answer 8

Psychomotor ability tests asses ability to manipulate objects and use tools. Most psychomotor tests are performance tests, not paper-and-pencil. They involve both the coordination btw the senses and movements, and the accuracy of movements.

Question 9

Physical Abilities: Sensory Abilities

Answer 9

Involves: vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, Kinesthetic feedback
* ADA prevents asking about or testing disabilities in these areas until after job offer

Question 10

Knowledge & Skill Tests

Answer 10

Often called achievement test, is designed to assess a person’s present level of proficiency. A knowledge tests assesses what the person knows, and a skill tests assess what a person is able to do.
Knowledge test ex: Achievement Test, Course exam
Skill test ex: Performance test, typing tests

Question 11

Personality Tests

Answer 11

Personality is a predisposition to behave in a particular way. Assesses one or more personality traits. Personality predicts behaviors at work reasonably well. Effects are independent of g and Better at predicting what a person will do, not what they can do. Conscientious is most robust Big 5 predictor, other traits may be especially relevant for specific types of jobs. Personality is likely more than ‘just the Big 5’ but the Big 5 is a useful place to start

Disadvantages:
Faking: People lie on the test.
Job relevance: Is personality related to job performance?

Question 12

The Big Five (OCEAN)

Answer 12

Openness to Experience
—> Curious, imaginative, independent, creative
Conscientiousness
—> Responsible, prudent, persistent, planful, achievement
Extraversion
—> Sociable Assertive, talkative, ambitious, energetic
Agreeableness
—> Good-natured, cooperative, trusting, likable, friendly
Neuroticism (opposite of “emotional stability”)
—> Anxiety, moodiness, frustration OR calm, secure, poised, relaxed

Question 13

Personality Tests: Other Constructs

Answer 13

Core Self Evaluations: One’s fundamental, bottom-line assessment of their worth as an individual
—> Combo of: Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Locus of Control, & Neuroticism

Achievement Motivation: One’s tendency to aggressively seek out desired ends

Hardiness: Extent to which individuals thrive under stress

Question 14

Assessing Personality

Answer 14

Screen-in tests → Identify normal personality, may be administered as pre-employement tests. Certain traits are considered important for work such as taking initiative, team player, persistence. Examples include Hogan Personailty Inventory, NEO-PI.

Screen-out tests → Identify psychopathology. For instance positions of public trust (e.g. police) may only be administered after offer of employment. According to ADA these are medical tests, best known example is the MMPI

Question 15

Biographical Information

Answer 15

An assessment of people’s backgrounds. Much of this information can come from an application: education, job skills, personal characteristics, work history, etc.
*Biographical inventory: *
- Detailed background information
- Asks more specific questions than an application
—> What was your GPA?
—> In your first job, how often did you initiate conversation with your immediate supervisor?
Predictive of job performance

Question 16

Interviews

Answer 16

Information about applicant background and interpersonal behavior. Can be structured or unstructured.

Structured:
–> Pre-planned series of questions
–> Uses scoring method to assess answers
–> Consistency reduces bias

Unstructured:
–> Freewheeling conversation with little prior preparation
–> Unstructured allows bias
–> Managers prefer unstructured regardless of what science says

Question 17

Work Samples

Answer 17

Standardized simulation of actual job tasks. Scored based on accuracy and time. Good predictors of future job performance and acceptability by applicants because of obvious job relevance
Limitations
* Not always practical
* Expensive, difficult to develop, best for simpler jobs

Question 18

Social Media & Assessment

Answer 18

Assess applicants from their social media. Hiring managers sometimes use it.
* Facebook (Van Iddekinge et al., 2016)
–> Little evidence for validity
–> Bias against men and minorities
* LinkedIn (Roulin & Levashina, 2019)
–> Evidence for validity
–> Little evidence of bias

Question 19

Assessment Centers

Answer 19

Simulation of management and other office setting jobs. Series of assessments and exercises over time thats is typically done in groups and assessed by groups (e.g. judges).
Provides scores on dimensions across exercises
* Decision making
* Leadership

Question 20

Criterion-referenced cut score

Answer 20

Consider desired level of performance & find test score corresponding to that level

Question 21

Norm-referenced cut score

Answer 21

Based on some index of test-takers’ scores rather than any notion of job performance

Question 22

What are cut-off scored used for?

Answer 22

May be used to make selection decisions. Strategy for determining cut score depends on situation

Question 23

What is the hurdle system in decision making?

Answer 23

Requiring candidates to reach a certain cutoff creates a hurdle.
Hurdle system: Individual has to make a certain score and is not able to compensate for that score
Multiple hurdle system=multiple cut-offs to meet

Question 24

How is regression used in decision making?

Answer 24

Regression
* Predicting scores on Y based on values of X
* Y = B0 +B1X1 + e
Multiple Regression
* Predicting scores on Y based on values
of multiple Xs
* Y = B0 +B1X1 + B2X2 + B3X3 + BNXN + e

Question 25

Which making selection decision is better at predicting job performance?

Answer 25

Hurdles and regression equations are approaches that are better at predicting job performance than subjective approaches. These approaches are not common in real life.

Subjective approach is making a judgement based on the information you collected and not using cutoffs or equations

Question 26

What are the legal issues regarding selection systems?

Answer 26

• Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Americans with Disabilities Act (1990, 2008)
• Age Discrimination in - Employment Act (1967)
• Other laws as well (Equal Pay Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, etc.)

Question 27

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990, 2008)

Answer 27

Requires employers to give applicants and employees with disabilities the same considerations as other and to make certain adaptions to the work environment to accommodate disabilities. Does not apply to jobs where safety or property of others is at risk

Question 28

Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967)

Answer 28

Prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in human resource decisions (hiring, firing, pay, training, etc.) Protection for those who are at least 40 years of age

Question 29

How does selection and the law influence each other?

Answer 29

Employment discrimination charges result not from the devices or system of selection, but how they were used to decide who to hire, promote, or lay off. Applicants not likely to sue organizations, more likely a current or former employee

Question 30

Intentional Discrimination

Answer 30

Adverse treatment: Discrimination in which the plaintiff attempts to show that the employer actually treated the plaintiff differently from majority applicants or employees.

Question 31

Griggs v. Duke Power Company (1971)

Answer 31

The day after the Civil Rights Act was signed, Duke Power suddenly required that all employees have a high school degree.

Supreme Court unanimously decided that practices that affect the rate of employment of protected classes must
- Demonstrate a business necessity and be job related
- Intent does not matter (only outcome)

Question 32

Unintentional Discrimination

Answer 32

Adverse impact: Discrimination that acknowledges the employer may not have intended to discriminate against a plaintiff, but an employer practice did discriminate
- Bias in a test
—> Intelligence tests have adverse impact

Burden of proof on plaintiff to show that they belong to a protected class and that that class was statistically discriminated against

Question 33

Adverse Impact Determination

Answer 33

• 80% or 4/5ths Rule
• Plaintiffs must show that the protected group received only 80% of the desirable outcomes (hiring, promotions) received by majority group
• Results in the Adverse Impact Ratio
• Once adverse impact is demonstrated, burden of proof falls to employer
• An example would be Ricci vs DeStefano (2009)

Question 34

What is training?

Answer 34

Systematic development of skills, concepts, and attitudes required for a job environment

Question 35

How is a needs assessment conducted?

Question 36

What are the various factors that affect learning and the transfer of training?

Question 37

What are the various methods of training and their advantages

Question 38

How is training evaluated?

Question 39

Define learning.

Answer 39

Relatively permanent change in behavior and capabilities within an individual

Question 40

What are the five steps for effective training?

Answer 40

1. Conduct a Training needs Assessment
2. Set Objectives
3. Design Training
4. Deliver Training
5. Evaluate Training

Question 41

How do we know what to train?

Answer 41

A training needs analysis: a three step process to understand where training is needed, what must be included in the training, as well as who will be trained.

Question 42

What are the three levels that a training analysis is based on?

Answer 42

Organization (relevancy of training to the job), job (KSAOs needed for the job), and the person (KSAO deficiencies within the individual)

Question 43

What are important trainee characteristics to asess?

Answer 43

Ability, readiness, attitudes and motivation, goal orientation, and motivation

Question 44

Define fidelity.

Answer 44

The extent to which the training task is similar to the task required by the job.
- For Example, pilot using a flight simulator to train for real in-flight siutations.

Question 45

Define sequencing.

Answer 45

Sequencing is when a task is practiced multiple times.
- Whole Learning: Entire task is practiced at once (how to make a cookie crumble Frappuccino)
- Part Learning: Subtasks are practices separately and later combined (how to make cookie crumble whipped cream)

Question 46

What are the three components of a training design?

Answer 46

Trainee characteristics, training design, and work environment. These all lead to learning which leads to the transfer of information from training into the job.

Question 47

Define the impact work environment on training.

Answer 47

The workplace environment can inhibit/facilitate the transfer of skills into the job

Question 48

What are the different methods of traning?

Answer 48

• Audiovisual instruction
• Autoinstruction
• Lecture
• Modeling
• On-the-job training
• Role-playing
• Simulation

Question 49

What are important steps to creating a training evaluation?

Answer 49

1. Set Criteria
2. Design of Evaluation Studies
3. Choose measures and collect data
4. Analyze and Interpret Data

Question 50

What is Kirkpatrick’s Training Criteria?

Answer 50

1. Employee Reaction and level of learning from the experience
2. Performance criteria, did the employees behavior change after training and what were the costs to the business (costs, sales, effectiveness)

Question 51

Define motivation.

Answer 51

The direction and intensity and individual takes towards a goal

Question 52

What are some of the theories pertaining to motivation?

Answer 52

1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
2. Self-Determination Theory
3. Expectancy Theory

Question 53

What is the self-determination theory?

Answer 53

Belief that there are two types of motivation:
1. Intrinsic (internal factors influence motivation)
2. Extrinsic (external factors influence motivation)

Question 54

What is the expectancy theory?

Answer 54

The belief that people will be motivated if they believe their behavior will lead to what they want
- Example: A toddler whining in a store for an item they want. Despite the parents telling them no, they continue this behavior because in the past it has gotten them what they want.

Question 55

What is the downside of the expectancy theory?

Answer 55

Designed to predict whether a person will engage in a behavior instead of their work motivation

Question 56

Define self-efficacy.

Answer 56

The choice and motivation to complete a task.

Question 57

What are the downsides to the expectancy theory?

Answer 57

Self-efficacy and emotions

Question 58

What is a justice theory?

Answer 58

The motivation of employees to complete their task based on the comparative inputs and outputs of other employees.

Question 59

What are some contributing factors to the justice theory?

Answer 59

Distributive justice (workload), procedural justice (PTO, promotions), and interactional justice (How well HR handles problems, respect from managers)

Question 60

What are goal-setting theories?

Answer 60

The strongest theories in I/O psych and defines and a process goals are met through many methods of completion