Week 1 - Introduction, Measurement Theory, & Testing Ethics

Question 1

Piotrowski, C., & Armstrong, T. (2006). Current recruitment and selection practices: A national survey of Fortune 1000 firms. North American Journal of Psychology, 8(3), 489 – 496.

Answer 1

• Study: Recruitment and selection practices in Fortune 1000 firms.
• Focus: Traditional methods vs. online pre-employment tests.
• Data: Survey from 151 U.S. firms.
• Key findings:
  
  • Majority favor traditional recruitment.
  • 20% use personality testing.
  • 28.5% screen for honesty-integrity; 22% for violence potential.
  • 20% plan to implement online testing.
• Concerns:
  
  • Unscientific claims in online personality testing.
  • Legal and ethical issues in online selection.
• Dominance of traditional methods:
  
  • Resumes, reference checks, company websites.
  • Less emphasis on online pre-employment tests.
• Future research:
  
  • Explore reservations about online tests.
  • Analyze psychometric credibility of online assessments.
  • Understand applicant perceptions of online selection.
• Conclusion:
  
  • Companies cautious about fully adopting online testing.
  • Need for more research in evolving hiring practices.

Question 1

Scroggins, W. A., Thomas, S. L, & Morris, J. A. (2008). Psychological testing in personnel selection, part I: A century of psychological testing. Public Personnel Management, 37(1), 99 – 109.

Answer 1

• Study explores the evolution of psychological testing in personnel selection, focusing on personality testing.
• Traces origins from late 19th century, highlighting early industrial psychology contributions to employee selection.
• Discusses the contentious history of personality testing in selection, noting early skepticism due to low validity and reliability.
• Highlights the lack of a universally accepted definition of personality and the evolving models of personality traits.
• Examines the impact of World War I and II on the acceptance and application of psychological testing in military and industry.
• Discusses the shift towards recognizing individual differences (e.g., personality, intelligence) over scientific management’s focus on efficiency.
• Notes the established utility of cognitive ability tests in selection, contrasting with controversies surrounding personality testing’s validity.
• Indicates a growing optimism regarding personality testing in selection, driven by recent research.

Question 2

Stone Romero, E. F., Stone, D. L., & Hyatt, D. (2003). Personnel selection procedures and invasion of privacy. Journal of Social Issues, 59(2), 343 – 368.

Answer 2

• Study: Assessing invasiveness of personnel selection procedures.
• Method: Two studies using scaling methods.
• Participants: Employed adults in the United States.
• Procedures assessed: Application blanks, lie detectors, physical and mental ability tests, personality inventories, honesty tests, medical examinations, drug tests, background checks, and interviews.
• Key findings:
  
  • Lie detectors rated as most invasive.
  • Application blanks seen as least invasive.
  • Medical exams for disease potential, drug tests, and background checks perceived as highly invasive.
  • Traditional methods (application blanks, interviews) seen as less invasive.
• Implications:
  
  • Variation in perceived invasiveness affects applicants’ job choices.
  • Less invasive methods preferred by applicants.
  • Need to balance effectiveness and invasiveness in selection procedures.