The accuracy was assessed of a method for estimating unrestricted univariate predictor means and variances from sample data for three populations in two personnel selection contexts. The first context was characterized by direct non-strict truncation and the second was characterized by direct strict truncation on the predictor. (TJH)

Describes the effort the state of Alabama has exerted to construct and use content-oriented tests valid for ranking applicants for employment in the state merit system. (IRT)

The relevance of assessing attention or concentration skills for personnel selection is discussed, and how a person's interpersonal characteristics are influenced by and influence attentional skills is explored. Scales in the Theory Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) inventory developed by Robert Nideffer are described. The interaction of…

Much of the scientific community has believed that temperament variables could not be included in batteries of tests to predict job performance because no generalized principles could be discerned from the results. For Project A, a major Army project on the prediction of job performance, a temperament inventory was developed and implemented. This…

A measure of potential performance as a counselor is needed as an adjunct to the information presently employed in selection decisions. This article deals with one possible method of development of such a potential performance criterion and the steps taken, to date, in the attempt to validate it. It includes: the overall effectiveness of the…

The Assessment Center Method is a comprehensive, standardized procedure in which mulitple appraisal techniques are used in combination to evaluate individuals for various purposes, primarily used in a business setting to identify those with potential for higher level procedures. The dimensions to be observed and measured in an assessment center…

Work Keys provides a metric that translates skill requirements for individual jobs into levels of proficiency. It has been developed as a multifunctional program with the interactive components of Job Profiling, Instructional Support, Reporting, and Assessment. The assessment component contains applied mathematics, applied technology, teamwork,…

To replace traditional methods of minimum competency testing in personnel selection, a two stage cutting score procedure is proposed. The Angoff procedure is modified so that only a subset of test items, which assess essential job related skills, are used to determine the cutting score and to identify qualifed applicants. As a measure of item…

Drawing from work on the meta-analysis of over 500 validation studies of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) by the U.S. Employment Service, the paper presents a methodological message and a substantive message. Gene Glass's methods, as used by Edwin Ghiselli in personnel selection, ignore study artifacts (sampling error, error of…

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) decided to explore alternative examining procedures for positions covered by the Administrative Careers with America (ACWA) examination. One requirement for new procedures was that they be automated for use with OPM's recently developed Microcomputer Assisted Rating System (MARS), a highly efficient system…

The use of ability testing for job selection has become widespread in the Federal Government and in the U.S. Employment Service, which assists private sector employers. The justification for the practice is based largely on research findings claiming a high level of validity for such tests in predicting job performance. More recently, such claims…

Two meta-analyses, one with 27,973 subjects in 31 studies and one with 34,262 subjects in 141 studies, found that tests of short-term memory are valid predictors of job and training performance and that racial differences are smaller than is usual on cognitive tests. (SLD)

Because of a congruity of developments in the knowledge base concerning tests, external political factors, and legal factors, responsible use of employment tests could be on the verge of widespread acceptability. However, the possibility also exists that tests will once again become the scapegoat for "bad news." This review of the legal…

A review of court cases, involving the use of various standardized tests, highlights the kinds of test validity and the interpretation by the courts of test fairness in setting personnel selection standards. Guidelines established by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) are shown to support the use of predictive validity in…

To determine if individuals other than first-line supervisors could be used as expert judges in making estimates of job performance worth when conducting a utility analysis, this study compared the estimates of experienced job incumbents with those of supervisors. The job class investigated was that of eligibility technician, who performs varied…