...practitioners to validate their prognosis, they may incorporate the use of various testing instruments, to help ensure they or properly diagnosing a client or it could be to prove the validity of one test over...
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...and Contemporary Issues in Psychology Evaluate the use of the Construct of Personality in Modern Life Broadly speaking personality can be defined as patterns of behaviour, thoughts and feelings. Accordingly a person’s behaviour allows us to infer future behaviour and describe how we differ from each other (Pervin & John, 2001). Today the use of personality is widespread and can be seen in many areas of modern life such as clinical, health, educational, occupational and forensic settings. For this reason, in the western world personality is viewed as an important aspect or characteristic of a person, which people are forever seeking advice on how to change and improve (Brody & Ehrlichman, 1998). The use of psychological tests attempting to measure individual differences related to occupational behaviours have been used for over 60 years (Furnham, 1992). Frequently, they are used for selection and appraisal due to the vast number of applicants, the high costs of interviewing and the necessity for objective, comparative data (Hogan, Hogan & Roberts, 1996). Recent research in personnel psychology has relied on meta- analysis to develop generalizations about personality characteristics that are characteristic of success in job- related contexts. Accordingly, relating measures of the Big Five to job performance measures suggest that conscientiousness is the personality trait that is consistently related to measures of work- related performance (Barrick & Mount, 1991) and...
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...categories of assessments relate to the type of examination. The sub-categories of assessments relate to the manner in which the assessment is taken. Assessments can be used for a wide variety of purposes in the professional, military, and educational worlds. The validity and reliability of a test affect the overall purpose of the test. Human error and individuality can affect the reliability and validity of psychological assessments. Definition of the Term Test The term test is defined as an analytical assessment, examination, or appraisal that is used to measure the abilities, understanding, intellect, proficiencies, or skills of an individual or group (Merriam-Webster, 2012). There are many major and minor categories of tests. The five major test categories are: The five main categories of psychological tests are: mental ability tests, achievement tests, personality assessments, interest and attitude assessments, and neuropsychological tests. The minor categories of tests are: performance, paper and pencil, power, speed, individual, group, maximum performance, typical performance, norm-referenced, and criterion referenced examinations. Separating examinations into categories allows a researcher to better understand the purpose of an examination and the users that a test is designed for (Hogan, 2007). Description of the Major Categories of Tests The five major categories of examinations are not black and white, they...
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...The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) is a psychometric test used to measure psychological preferences in how a person makes decisions and perceives their surrounding environment. A mother-daughter pair, Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers developed the test based on the typological theories of Carl Gustav Jung. After more than fifty-years of research and development, the MBTI has become the most widely used and respected personality tool. Eighty-nine companies out of the US Fortune 100 make use of it for recruitment and selection, or to help employees gain a better understanding of themselves and their colleagues (Psychometric Success, 2013). The primary theory behind the MBTI is that each person's personality fits into only one of sixteen types. These categories are based on four features of personality, each consisting of two opposite preferences called dichotomies. The MBTI combines an individual’s preferences from each dichotomous pair, denoted by a letter, to yield one of the personality types. Each type is equally valuable and according to the theory, everyone has an innate preference that determines how he or she will behave in all situations (Myers-Briggs, 2013). The four dimensions are: Extroversion (E) vs Introversion (I). This dimension reflects the perceptual orientation of the individual. Extroverts are said to react to immediate and objective conditions in the environment. Introverts, however, look inward to their internal and subjective reactions...
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...PERSONALITY EVALUATION CRITERIA AND TECHNIQUES Introduction 1. Personality is something that we informally evaluate and describe every day. When we talk about ourselves and others, we frequently refer to different characteristics of an individual's personality. Psychologists do the same thing when they evaluate personality, but on a much more systematic and scientific level. Personality testing refers to those techniques that are used accurately and consistently to measure personality. 2. Humans are precious asset for any organization. Recruitment and selection is costly effort in terms of money and time. Personality of employees effects their roles and responsibilities in the organization. The personality pattern has great influence on their work attitude. Evaluations of personality provide a measure of how an individual works with his colleagues, how he approaches towards tasks and change, how he communicates and how he deals with pressures. Differences between people in their behavior and mental approach make them more or less effective in different jobs. For instance, an outgoing person will tend to be more successful in a job that requires frequent interaction with other people. On the other hand, a less outgoing person tends to be more successful in a job that primarily involves independent work. Almost, all organization uses personality evaluations to match an individual’s skills to the job requirements or to find an organization fit person. Such evaluations identified...
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...Psychological Testing PSY/435 February 25, 2012 Psychological Testing Psychological testing is a recognized way to measure an individual’s knowledge, skill, abilities, characteristics, traits, and behavior. This type of testing is a way to introduce an individual’s personality, and a tool to help organizations select the appropriate employee. The ability test, personality test, and emotional intelligence test are just a few of the many tests available. A good test is one that is reliable and valid. A reliable test will work the same each time it is administered, and a valid test measures what it intends to measure. Although ethical issues exist, many psychological testing is both valid and reliable, and is a benefit for the employee and organization when used appropriately (Spector, 2008). Psychological Testing in the Workplace “A psychological test is a standardized series of problems or questions that assess a particular individual characteristic” (Spector, 2008, p. 110). These tests are often used to evaluate an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities, and include items that specify his or her characteristics of interest. Multiple items on the test provide better reliability and validity compared to single-item tests (Spector, 2008). Psychological tests are typically easy and quick to apply and can assess several characteristics in one test (Spector, 2008). Ability Test An ability test is similar to the aptitude test, in which it tests an individual’s capacity...
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...and traits can be difficult because qualities are not tangible and testing can give assistance in this matter (Hogan, 2007). Test The term test according to Hogan (2007) can be defined in a number of ways. Originally, the term test was used to describe a cup “used for smelting gold or silver ore, perhaps an apropos reference for some high-stakes testing today” (Hogan, 2007, p, 38). In modern times the term is typically defined as any assessments designed to measure peoples’ behaviors, knowledge, abilities, skills, or personalities. Hogan (2007) suggests that regardless of these various definitions of the term test, there are six common elements defining the term test in the behavioral sciences. These six elements include procedure or device, behavior, information, and cognitive processes, systematic, and standardized, sample, and measurement or quantification. To have a more comprehensive understanding as it pertains to psychology the individual needs consider the basic assumptions, major categories, users, uses, reliability, and validity of testing (Hogan, 2007). Mental Ability Tests The first...
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...Team Personality Traits Dennys Bayona PSY/250 September 10, 2013 Maritza Telleria Team Personality Traits Psychology talk about five domains of personality also called the big five personality traits. The big five personality traits are openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. The Five Factors The preference in the use of the five factors has been determined by the consistency in the ability to measure the personality without overlapping. Many studies believed that the five factors of personality can predict future outcomes. But is still in research the correlation with these factors and job performance. Some organizations and interviewers asses people base on the five personality traits and these organizations perceived that leadership on an individual is exhibit by lower amounts of neurotic traits, higher levels of openness, balanced levels of conscientiousness, and balance levels of extraversions. Openness: This trait reflect the degree of intellectual curiosity, also describes the imagination and how independent is the individual. My results marked my personality as conventional, down to earth, narrow interest, uncreative. I wont seek out new experiences. Conscientiousness: This trait reflects the degree of responsibility and organization, this trait is normally marked by the individual tendency to show self discipline and aim for achievement. My test results marked my personality as to...
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...term test. Next, the author describes the major categories of tests and identifies the major uses and users of these tests. Last the paper compares and contrasts the concepts of reliability and validity and discusses how they affect the field of psychological testing. The Standards for Education and Psychological Testing defines test as, “An evaluative device or procedure in which a sample of an examinee’s behavior (is) evaluated and scored using a standardized process” (Hogan, 2007, pg. 38). Anastasi and Cronbach, both traditional textbook authors, define the term test as, “an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behavior” and “a systematic procedure for observing behavior and describing it with the aid of numerical scales or fixed categories” (Hogan, 2007, pg. 38). In psychology, tests are used to make important decisions about an individual. Testing samples a person’s behavior, creates a standardized measure, and contributes in making important decisions about the individual taking the test. Testing is used in many different areas and is used to sample a person behavior, create a standardize measure, and contribute in making important decisions. For example, college admissions officers consult test score before admitting or rejecting an applicant. The military uses test scores to aid in qualifying placing soldiers for specific jobs. Clinical psychologist uses a variety of projective and objective test in choosing a course of treatment for clients. Although...
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...Reliability and Validity in Personality Testing 02-16-2015 Introduction Psychological tests are often used in the selection of projective personnel (Anastasia & Urbina, 1997). The idea is that by using the scientific approach to personality and emotional intelligence testing in hiring, the employers will be able to increase the number of successful employees (Beaz lll, 2013). “Personality refers to an individual’s unique constellation of consistent behavioral traits”, which in relationship to a person’s projected Emotional Intelligence (EI) may lead to matching the right person to the right job. Job proficiency tests are used to select candidates for employment and are the number one tool used to match the right person to the right position (ND.gov, 2015). However, there are quite a few complaints about the fairness of this process and due to many court cases challenging the validity of these tests, many organizations have chosen to drop the assessment. A plaintiff must establish adverse impact upon a protected group by the employment practice used, in order to force an employer to show content validity in terms of examined traits to be consistent with job relatedness. In a court case against Target, the court found that the questions relating to personality traits in terms of religion and sexual orientation did not have any bearing on the desired emotional stability of the projective employee who had applied for the security officer’s job (Schaffer & Smidt...
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...Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND THE RESEARCH DESIGN Rationale Fact or fiction? A job interview will tell you much more about a person than any other psychological tests. The interview process will offer an accurate report of the actual behaviors of the person at work, the genuine skills that the person possesses, the productivity of the person and that the happy and affable responses of a prospective employee during the interview suggest that the person is most likely to like his/her job. If you think that the aforementioned statements are nothing more than a common sense, then you must know that common sense is not always reasonable. As a matter of fact, those abovementioned statements are untrue. In most cases, psychometricians who interpret psychological tests and conduct preliminary interviews have confirmed that interviews alone are not particularly good selection tool to distinguish the productivity, skills, behavior and the motivation of the employee. Using interviews alone does not give sufficient information for effective selection decision making, particularly in areas that are not amenable to training, such as cognitive ability and attitude ( Webster, 2010). Psychological assessments are used in succession planning, employee screening, pre-employment decisions, and employee counseling situations. From a purely financial view, if psychological testing can prevent you from making one bad hire, it probably saves you tens of thousands of dollars. From an organizational...
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...Personality-has to do with individual differences among people in behavior patterns, cognition and emotion. Different personality theorists present their own definitions of the word based on their theoretical positions. Individual differences in personality have many real life consequences. Personality Measures Personality determines a number of important characteristics and behaviors, including how people interact with others, what motivates them, and what they value. Our personality measures are among the most widely cited, highly regarded, and innovative assessments of normal-range personality. For use with normal and clinical populations, these measures are also used in a variety of settings, from career planning and marital counseling to leadership development and employment selection. THE MEASUREMENT OF PERSONALITY It should be pointed out that the various methods of assessing personality correspond closely to the basic personality theories we have just discussed. Personality Research Form The PRF is one of the most highly regarded measures of normal-range personality available. It is also one of the most highly cited psychological assessments, having been referenced 2000 times in research literature. Measuring Personality: Various Approaches Including Self-Report, Behavioral, and Projective Tests Self-report measures rely on the individual's personal responses. Some of the more widely used personality self-report measures Behavioral measures focus on behavior...
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...of test, their uses and who uses these tests. It will also compare and contrast reliability and validity and how they affect psychological testing. Test There are various ways in which an individual can define test. A test is a system for accomplishing something such as observing behavior and illustrating it with the help of numerical scales or prearranged categories (Hogan, 2007). There are common elements between “tests". They test some procedure or device that bring forth information. The procedure or device gives information about some behavior, and the test are a systematic, standardized procedure (Hogan, 2007). Another definition of psychological testing is that they are a written, verbal, or visual assessment done to determine the cognitive and emotional activity of individuals (Health, 2015). Just because there are many ways to define test does not mean each answer is wrong. It depends on the subject matter at hand and how the individual chooses to define it. Categories of Test There are five major categories of test that include personality, interests and attitudes, achievement test, neuropsychological, and mental ability tests (Hogan, 2007). The personality test includes many test that are created to produce knowledge about an individual’s personality. Personality test are used by employers to help learn about their employees. The employers use the Personality Assessment Test (PAT) to get this information. Another type of personality test would be...
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...Ch08.qxd 10/28/04 2:54 PM Page 181 Psychological measurements: their uses and misuses 8 ‘Measure all that can be measured and render measurable all that defies measurement.’ Galileo Galilei ‘Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.’ Albert Einstein The words ‘test’ and ‘measurement’, as used in psychology, are misleading because of the implied similarity to scientific measurements and medical tests. Conventional psychological testing is quite different from scientific measurements in natural sciences. What is accomplished by the application of psychological measurement is an estimation of a psychological construct. Psychological tests and measurements of personality, intelligence, attitude and motivation are fundamentally different from quantitative measurements in physical sciences such as height, weight and blood urea. Paul Kline, one of the foremost exponents of psychometric theory clarifies the issue as follows: ‘There are no units of [psychological] measurement and no true zeros. Whatever psychological measurement is, it is not scientific measurement as defined in natural sciences ... If we consider what is meant by intelligence or extraversion, just for example, it is by no means clear what units of measurement might be used or what the true zero may mean. This problem applies to the majority of psychological concepts and variables’ (Kline, 2000). Besides, it is often mistakenly believed...
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...45492832 PYC4807: PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT 05: Assessment in an industrial context Closing date: 11 July 2011 CONTENTS SECTION A 1. Introduction 2. Competencies 3. Core competencies of successful accountants 3.1 Skill-related competencies (SPEEX) 3.2 Personality-related competencies (16PF) 4. The role of situational, personality and interest measures in establishing the core competencies of interviewees 4.1 Situational tests 4.2 Personality tests 4.3 Interest tests 4.3.1 The Self-Directed Search (SDS) 4.3.2 The MB-10 5. Approaching the process to appoint a suitable candidate 5.1 Components of the selection process 5.1.1 CV Screening 5.1.2 Reference checking 5.1.3 Short-listing 5.1.4 Competency based interviewing 5.1.5 Psychological assessment 5.1.6 Second interview 5.1.7 Appointment SECTION B References SECTION A 1. Introduction The aim of this essay is to critically discuss the importance of a job description by highlighting five important competencies that are relevant to the job description of an accountant, the use of various types of measures in the industrial context, and the process followed in selection, placement and development of employees. The modern work environment is competitive and employers need to be strategic in their hiring strategy. According to Bennie and Huang (2010) it is important for organisations to attract and retain the most...
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