module 7 Psychological assessment in organisational settings Flashcards
identify the motivations for using psychological assessment within organisations
Motivations for psychological testing within organisations usually involve finding the best person for the job but also sometimes the one who “fits” the team. Usually trying to find someone who will be a good performer and no issues with no-shows, breach of duties, or other issues.
Also to assess for promotion/dismissal, job performance and if assessment techniques are effective.
describe examples of different assessment processes that are used in an organisational context
General assessment processes include:
-autobiographical data (ie past performances in high school, habits, etc. Are highly predictive of future performance but some questions might not be strictly legal/breach of privacy etc). Truthfulness increases when asked to elaborate.
-employment interview- prone to “halo effect”. More prone to be judged on “likeability”. Improved effectiveness of judging when have a panel, properly trained, and ask set pre-determined questions which have been considered for specific reasons. If done without set q’s or panel, are far less reliable than biodata or credentials. Does serve to be able to meet candidate though. A strong handshake is favourably rated… First impressions are virtually instinctual…
-cognitive ability tests-whilst are meritous, there are concerns over their bias and harsher ratings of minority groups. Most research suggests there is a correlation for G intelligence and job performance. There are dozens of cognitive tests possible. Some just focus on G, and others on specific areas. Many are industry focussed-eg mechanical or clerical.
-personality/temperament/motivation test;personality tests are good at predictingdelinquency, and Conscientiousness is a good correlator with reliability on the job. For the rest however personality is generally not a good guide for job performance.
-paper & pencil integrity tests-involves assessing attitudes to theft, drugs, etc. Also asks for own past uses/abuses etc. Fairly easy to fake.
-sensory/physical dexterity tests
-work sample/situational assessment;small sample overview of skills or chance to see candidate in action. Sometimes need to assess not just what was done but style of doing so-such as able to delegate, polite, following up etc etc. Sometimes may do these assessments at Workplace assessment Centres. Very expensive.
-Work performance appraisals;criterion for valid work performance is rarely straightforward (“the criterion problem”). Need to train assessors. Is often difficult to know how to accurately rate productivity or how to do so fairly. Absenteeism is also difficult to assess-was it legitimate, has it impacted overall performance. Absenteeism is largely not correlated to work performance apart from flagrantly large amounts which is negatively correlated to work performance.
Peers tend to rate more leniently than supervisors. No correlation between peer/self ratings and supervisor ratings. Peer ratings largely useless.
Graphic rating scale-very simple, consists of trait labels with brief descriptions and and a continuous rating. Of ten though the performance being appraised is too poorly defined.
Critical Incident checklist-derives its definitions from actual occurrences eg the best example of this was…, and the worst example was…From these then generate a checklist of the best /worst qualities/performances of a position description etc and individuals are then rated against these often in eg Likert style.
Behaviourally-anchored scale-specifically created by experts re a particular job. With detailed behaviour parameters rated eg by frequency. Is strictly legal/non biased.
Forced Choice scale-forces rater to choose between equally socially desirable descriptors. Theoretically overcomes rater bias/subjectivity.Much effort involved in developing them.
Halo effect-tendency for a rater to rate high or low based on a global impression.
Criterion contamination-when a criterion measure includes other aspects which are not demonstrably part of the job.
eg HOLLAND
eg. MYER -BRIGGS
outline the strengths and limitations of this approach (and reflect on how it can be used appropriately).
Using simplified models of assessment rarely encompass the breadth and variety of skills that are really required to do well at any job.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL RECOMMENDATIONS;
-base upon a careful , well defined, job analysis.
-develop specific contamination-free criteria
-determine appropriate instruments of rating
-train raters to be fair, accurate and legal and to assess to specific guides
-do performance evaluations regularly eg 6-12 months.
-periodically also evaluate the performance evaluation system.
Careers
Careers identity recognised as important factor in self-identity and wellbeing. Prolonged unemployement may have sequelae of low self esteem, poor functioning, loss of income/independence, depression, etc etc.
Career counsellors must avoid the trap of client expectations of”test and tell”. No 1 answer is correct. Better to arm clients with abilities to explore options in discerning fashion.
Work important for survival/power/choice/indepence, social connection, and self-determination.
Educational /opportunity limitations especially for the disadvantaged, have profound effect on what is possible for a career.
Career advice seekers need;
- a clear understanding of themself, aptitudes, abilities, interests, ambitions, resources, limitations
-a knowledge of job requirements, limitations, successes,compensations, progressions, opportunities,advantages,disadvantages.
Career counsellor should match client requirements with requirements for job types.
Most jobs allow for a variety of individuals, and most people could fit a variety of jobs.
Goal of career counselling is for client to be able to take actions which lead to greater job and personal satisfaction.Not simply to make one single choice. Also goal is to get rid of self-limiting beliefs.
Theory of Environment-person fit
Proposed by John Holland and others. Belief that there are some base personality types and for each, there is a type of job which best suits. Also known as RAISEC model.
RAISEC PERSONALITY AND ENVIRONMENT TYPES;
1. Realistic-person is practical and conservative. like tools.Usually avoid interactions. Environment is hands-on, technical, requires pragmatic problem-solving.
2. Investigative-person is analytical, like knowledge exploration,avoid selling/persuasion. Environment requires investigation of ideas, not so much people.Requires rational approach.
3. Artistic-people are unconventional and creative. Avoid conforming.Environment requires creativity and emotion.
4. Social-person is empathetic, values social connections and interpersonal contact. Environment requires caring for people and good social skills.
5. Enterprising-person is persuasive and directive. Avoids abstract thoughts.Values social status. Environment requires self-confidence and leadership and the ability to persuade others through verbal ability.
6. Conventional-person likes to maintain order and routine, value financial success and avoid ambiguous or unstructured situations. Environment requires methodical application and repetition.
Holland’s codes are the 3 highest-scoring types for a person, ie highest, 2nd and 3rd highest. Rare for an individual to be a “pure” type. In Holland’s self-directed search, these codes are then used to find matching careers.
Adjacent raisec types are more similar to each other than opposite types. Adjacent type combos are considered more consistent than opposite, and it is easier for person who is consistent, to find job satisfaction within a consistent job type.
Realistic Investigative
Coventional Artistic
Enterprising Social.
Marked differentiation means strong preference for first score. Some degree of differentiation is usually required for job satisfaction.
Holland’s SDS is an example of an industry interest assessment-there are others.
Person Environment Correspondence Theory
similar to person environment fit, but with more emphasis on aptitude than current skill. Also takes into consideration person’s values. Considered person’s values include;
1. Achievement-how important a feeling of accomplishment is.
2. Altruism-the sense of harmony with others and being of service to others.
3. Autonomy-the importance of independence and having a sense of control.
4.Comfort-importance of being comfortable and without stress.
5. Safety-importance of stability, order and predictability.
6. Status-importance of recognition and place of dominance.
Also considers other factors such as environmental styles of adjustment required by job eg.
1. Celerity-the quickness of job response
2. Pace-level of effort in response required.
3. Rhythm-Pattern of response eg cyclical/erratic/steady
4.Endurance-level of response is sustained or brief.
Happenstance Learning Theory
human behaviour is product of learning experiences over both planned and unplanned circumstances and the outcomes are skills,knowledge, interests, beliefs, emotions and future actions.
Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory
Most widely used personality test in industry. Gives each person 4 letters of personality;
1. Introvert/extrovert
2. information sensing (rely on evidence from senses)/Intuition
3. Thinking/Feeling for decisions (logic
vs circumstnaces/people)
4. Deciding judgement-decide or remain open to further info?
Many view the test as pseudoscience and has not been found to be reliable. Is a very bianry system (ie no “in’between”), although does give a Percentage score so can actually figure out one’s own “grey scale”. Is possibly too easy to describe basically anyone in such a way ie lacks individual description. Does maybe get people to recognise that others might prefer a different approach to what they themselves like… Not correlated for job performance. has inherent bias for race and gender (white male….).
