Deck 14: How Are Tests Used in Organizational Settings

Question 1

A more valid alternative to the traditional interview is the ______.

A) realistic interview
B) stress interview
C) structured behavioral interview
D) job analysis interview

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Evidence of validity for the structured interview is established by developing questions using ______.

A) information from professional organizations
B) tests that measure skills required by the job
C) standardized tests
D) job analysis or competency modeling

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which one of the following traits is a factor suggested by the Five Factor Theory?

A) agreeableness
B) motivation
C) confidence
D) leadership

Answer 3

A

Question 4

We describe the realism of a performance test in terms of its ______.

A) reliability
B) content validity
C) criterion-related validity
D) fidelity

Question 5

Evidence that the interview or test is job-related is especially important when ______.

A) choosing candidates for upper management positions
B) seeking to hire honest and motivated employees
C) the hiring employer is sued for adverse impact of their selection system
D) employees of the hiring organization belong to a union

Question 6

Which one of the following statements regarding low-fidelity simulations is NOT correct?

A) Low-fidelity simulations should not be used as part of an employee selection system.
B) Low-fidelity simulations can be as valid as high-fidelity simulation.
C) Low-fidelity simulations are expensive to use.
D) Low-fidelity simulations require the use of role players and assessors.

Question 7

What are assessment centers?

A) large-scale simulations of the job that require candidates to solve typical job problems
B) centrally located locations where employees receive training and assessment
C) departments within organizations that gather and analyze psychological testing data
D) testing locations equipped for computer-adapted testing and computerized simulations

Question 8

What is the Five Factor Theory?

A) a theory that suggests that there are five factors that make a good leader
B) a theory that suggests that there are five factors related to high performance
C) a theory that underlies the development of the 16 Factor Personality Questionnaire
D) a theory that suggests that there are five central personality dimensions

Question 9

Situational judgment tests are considered to be a ______.

A) measurement construct
B) measurement method
C) biased device
D) high-fidelity simulation

Question 10

Which one of the following two general categories do assessments for integrity fall into?

A) polygraphs and interviews
B) assessment centers and interviews
C) physiological measures and paper-and-pencil tests
D) simulations and polygraphs.

Question 11

Which one of the following is a benefit of providing job applicants with realistic expectations of the job during the hiring process?

A) Employees may be more loyal to the organization.
B) Employees may be more strongly motivated.
C) Employees may become higher performers.
D) Employees may remain on the job longer.

Question 12

Which one of the following traits did Barrick and Mount's (1991) meta-analysis show to be a valid predictor of job performance for all jobs in all occupational groups studied?

A) openness to experience
B) extroversion
C) conscientiousness
D) agreeableness

Question 13

Which one of the following is an example of a false positive?

A) mistakenly assuming guilty test takers are guilty
B) mistakenly assuming innocent test takers are innocent
C) mistakenly classifying guilty test takers as innocent
D) mistakenly classifying innocent test takers as guilty

Question 14

Asking an applicant for a teaching job to teach a class would be an example of a(n) ______.

A) assessment center
B) semistructured interview
C) work sample
D) field test

Question 15

What is a polygraph?

A) the best-known physiological measure associated with evaluating truthfulness
B) the graph that shows the plots of multiple personality assessments for one test taker
C) a valid measure of truthfulness and honesty used for choosing job applicants for hire
D) a valid neuropsychological measure of truthfulness and honesty

Question 16

What is the most popular type of assessment organizations use to hire new employees?

A) skills and abilities tests
B) personality tests
C) the traditional interview
D) integrity tests

Question 17

Many shortcomings of the traditional interview, including its low reliability and validity, can be overcome by ______.

A) asking different questions to each candidate
B) preparing the applicant for the interview
C) interviewing only one applicant for each job
D) structuring the interview and the interviewing procedure

Question 18

Which one of the following statements best describes structured behavioral interviews?

A) Structured behavioral interviews focus on questions that ask candidates to provide specific accounts of the behaviors they have used in the past.
B) Structured behavioral interviews are work samples that require the applicant to perform a task during the interview.
C) Structured behavioral interviews ask applicants to imagine how they would behave in situations they have never experienced in the past.
D) Structured behavioral interviews contain questions about what behaviors the applicant expects to perform on the job and why those behaviors are important or valuable.

Question 19

Which one of the following statements about the polygraph is FALSE?

A) There is no scientific evidence that a specific "lie response" exists.
B) Polygraph interpreters and users may be making the "Othello error."
C) The major drawback to using polygraphs is that they generate a high rate of false positives.
D) The general discomfort and nervousness measured by the polygraph indicates that the person is hiding something.

Question 20

An interviewer may choose to ask probing questions in order to ______.

A) ask the interviewees to provide benchmarks for job performance
B) elicit more information from the interviewees
C) see how interviewees perform under pressure or stress
D) force interviewees to address topics they have been avoiding

Question 21

Isaac's manager asked him to complete a survey about his job. The survey asked him to rate his job tasks on their importance and how frequently he performed them. What type of assessment was Isaac asked to complete?

A) integrity test
B) performance appraisal
C) 360-degree feedback
D) job analysis

Question 22

A meta-analysis of validation studies of integrity tests found that integrity tests predicted which one of the following criteria the best?

A) counterproductive behaviors
B) documented thefts
C) supervisory ratings of job performance
D) dishonesty

Question 23

The idea that a company must identify and reward top performers or dismiss its lowest performers leads to the use of ______.

A) performance appraisal systems
B) job analyses
C) skills tests
D) forced ranking and forced distributions

Question 24

The Uniform Guidelines apply to tests used by ______.

A) classroom teachers to measure student learning
B) organizations to make hiring decisions
C) educational institutions for screening applicants for educational programs
D) clinical psychologists and psychiatrists to make diagnoses

Question 25

Formal evaluations of the effectiveness of employees' job-related behaviors are called performance ______.

A) analyses
B) appraisals
C) tests
D) abilities

Question 26

What is a behavioral checklist?

A) a performance appraisal that asks respondents to rate how frequently various behaviors occur
B) a performance appraisal that asks respondents to rate the performance of their coworkers
C) a job analysis questionnaire that asks respondents to identify behaviors that the job incumbent performs
D) a method for ranking employees based on their behaviors on the job

Question 27

Which one of the following employee evaluation tools is most likely to contain anchors?

A) situational judgment test
B) ranked distribution
C) forced distribution
D) graphic rating scales

Question 28

Which one of the following actions should a consultant recommend to an organization interested in minimizing the likelihood the inaccurate ratings will be made in performance appraisals?

A) use behaviorally anchored rating scales
B) display pictures for anchors on rating scales
C) conduct a 360-degree feedback process
D) institute a rater training program

Question 29

Job analysis is a(n) ______.

A) self-reported skills inventory for entry-level jobs
B) occupational interest inventory for high school students
C) performance evaluation that focuses on job tasks
D) systematic procedure for documenting a job's activities

Question 30

"Please tell me a time when you were responsible for developing an innovative solution to a specific business problem" is an example of a(n) ______.

A) traditional interview question
B) behavioral interview question
C) assessment center question
D) 360-degree feedback question

Question 31

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 forbids the use of the polygraph for ______.

A) making employment decisions for all jobs in the United States
B) making employment decisions except for certain categories of jobs
C) testing current employees to see if they have ever stolen from the company
D) testing current employees randomly in order to catch thieves

Question 32

Which one of the following are assessments that measure the test taker's mental capabilities such as general mental ability tests, intelligence tests, and academic skills tests.

A) general preemployment tests
B) cognitive tests
C) personality tests
D) skills tests

Question 33

Which one of the following statements about using reliable and valid testing in organizations is a myth?

A) Preemployment tests cost too much.
B) Reliable and valid tests identify the best candidates for the job.
C) Any organization can get sued, but evidence of reliable and valid tests are the best defense.
D) Structured interviews increase validity, but they are time-consuming to develop and administer.

Question 34

Which one of the following is an example of a high-fidelity test?

A) a projective test
B) a personality test
C) the traditional interview
D) a flight simulator

Question 35

Which one of the following rater errors occurs when raters let their judgment on one dimension influence judgments on other dimensions?

A) leniency error
B) halo effect
C) central tendency error
D) severity error

Question 36

Which one of the following statements about the Uniform Guidelines is true?

A) Congress passed the Uniform Guidelines as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
B) The Uniform Guidelines were written and published by federal agencies.
C) The Uniform Guidelines are federal law.
D) The Uniform Guidelines were written and published on behalf of the American Psychological Association.

Question 37

Wanda Sue worked as a cashier at a convenience store and she was asked to take an integrity test. One question on the test was, "How many times have you borrowed cash from an employer without permission?" Which one of the following types of tests was she taking?

A) a memory test
B) a personality-oriented test
C) an overt test
D) an attributes test

Question 38

What type of test is the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test?

A) projective test
B) skills test
C) personality test
D) cognitive test

Question 39

What is the Hogan Personality Inventory?

A) a measure of normal personality designed to predict employment success
B) a entry level preemployment test that was developed empirically
C) a basic skills test developed for use in organizations
D) a test developed for use as a training tool for college students in testing courses

Question 40

In structured interviews, test developers use job analysis to establish evidence of ______.

A) reliability
B) validity
C) prediction
D) discrimination

Question 41

When an organization is too small to do their own validation study, under which one of the following circumstances would they be able to rely on a validation study done in a different organization?

A) when the jobs are very similar in both organizations
B) when the jobs are in the same department in each organization
C) when the test has especially strong reliability
D) when the test measures a concrete construct

Question 42

Describe the characteristics of a situational judgment test and discuss the pros and cons of its use as a tool for employee selection.

Question 43

Which one of the following statements is TRUE regarding the relationship of the personality trait of conscientiousness and job performance?

A) There is no relationship between conscientiousness and job performance.
B) The higher the level of conscientiousness, the higher the level of job performance.
C) The lower the level of conscientiousness, the higher the level of job performance.
D) When conscientiousness is extremely high, job performance may actually decrease.

Question 44

Discuss high- and low-fidelity tests. Give an example of each.

Question 45

What is the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test?

A) a measure of the personality characteristics needed for success on the job
B) a measure of general job skills needed for job success
C) a measure of adult language and math skills used to predict job readiness
D) an interest inventory used by career counselors to measure job preferences

Question 46

What is meant by validity generalization? Describe three methods that can be used to generalize evidence of validity.

Question 47

What is job analysis and what is its purpose?

Question 48

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional interview and the structured interview for assessing job candidates. Give examples.

Question 49

Discuss two types of integrity tests and describe the criticism these tests have received.

Question 50

The generalizing of validity evidence is sometimes necessary when ______.

A) a test has been shown not to be valid for a particular purpose
B) when the construct that the test was designed to measure is not clearly defined
C) a test is proposed for use for a different purpose than it was originally validated
D) any time a new test is used

Question 51

Meta-analysis is a statistical technique used to ______.

A) estimate the reliability of a test
B) determine the proper cut score of a test
C) combine the results of multiple studies into a single result
D) reduce the amount of data necessary to conduct a validation study

Question 52

Based on the research summarized in the textbook, which one of the following conclusions can be drawn about the impact of faking on personality tests?

A) Faking almost always significantly decreases the validity of personality tests.
B) Faking almost always significantly increases the validity of personality tests.
C) Faking has almost no significant impact on the validity of personality tests.
D) Faking sometimes does and sometimes does not significantly influence the validity of personality tests.

Question 53

Discuss two issues that arise when an organization decides to use a personality test as part of their employee selection process.

Question 54

Discuss performance appraisal instruments, give examples of four types of rating scales, and describe three types of rating errors.