Week 7: Psychological assessment for occupational settings Flashcards
What type of assessments are used in organisations?
- Autobiographical Data
- Employment Interview
- Cognitive Ability Test
- Personality Tests
- Integrity Tests
- Work Sample and Situational Exercise
What is autobiographical data?
It is biodata that can be predictive of job performance. Data can be gathered from forms and resumes, as well as asking questions, and can include information such as number of jobs worked, number of degrees obtained etc…
What is an employment interview?
It is an assessment tool that is time consuming and can raise issues such as interviewer bias (e.g., the halo effect). Validity can be improved through having more than one interviewer and using structured questions that align with the job role.
What is a cognitive ability test?
It is a tool used to test a general construct (e.g., intelligence) or a specific skill (e.g., numeric, verbal). Such tests may impact applicants from minority backgrounds and data from general tests are better predictors of job performance than specific tests due to the complexity of roles.
What are integrity tests?
They evaluate attitudes and experiences of honesty, pro-social behaviours, and dependability. These can be faked and are prone to social desirability bias. They are better for predicting counterproductive work behaviour than performance.
What are work sample and situational exercises?
These are tools that give the applicant a task that replicates the type of work that they perform on the job. Work samples focus on important domains of the job, while situational exercises are more detailed tasks that the person is likely to perform in the role.
What needs does work fulfil in our lives?
- Survival and power (necessity and opportunities to participate)
- Social connection (friendships and belonging)
- Self-determination (fulfilment)
What is the theory of Person-Environment Fit?
It is a theory proposed by John Holland (1950) that suggests that for certain clusters of personality traits, there is a work environment that is best suited to that type.
What are the two concepts when considering a person’s three letter code?
- Consistency: Are the three domains similar?
- Differentiation: What is the relative strength of the first, second, and third letters? An undifferentiated person might have more difficulty finding job satisfaction.
What is the Self-directed search?
It is a self-administered assessment based on Holland’s RIASEC model, which assumes that personality traits and work environments can be classified under 6 types.
What are the 6 types of the RIASEC model?
- Realistic
- Investigative
- Artistic
- Social
- Enterprising
- Conventional
What is a realistic type?
They prefer to work with things rather than people, and can be described as practical, honest, and sensible.
What is an investigative type?
They typically like to work with ideas than with people and things. They can be described as curious, independent, and logical.
What is an artistic type?
They like to work with ideas more than with things. They are creative, open, and original.
What is a social type?
They like to work with people more than things. They are helpful, friendly, and generous.
