Deck 11: Ability Tests for Selection

Question 1

Clerical ability tests have predominantly measured perceptual speed and accuracy in processing verbal and numerical data.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The use of paper-and-pencil tests to assess mechanical ability has exceeded the use of performance tests.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

In general,courts have placed a more stringent demand for reasonable accommodation on employers when the disabled individuals are new workers as opposed to employees who are returning to work after illness or injury.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

One conclusion that can be drawn from mental ability validity generalization studies is that these tests are stable across organizations.

Question 5

Ability tests measure what a person has learned and can learn.

Question 6

The Otis Self-Administering Test of Mental Ability was the first group-administered mental ability test to have widespread use in industry.

Question 7

While women score lower than men on strength and endurance tests,they also demonstrate lower performance on jobs that require these abilities.

Question 8

Mental ability tests are valid for many jobs and increase in predictability of job performance as the job becomes more complex.

Question 9

The courts have consistently held that height and weight requirements are reasonable measures of strength.

Question 10

Meta-analysis has consistently shown that there are significant differences in mean test scores on cognitive ability among racial/ethnic groups.

Question 11

While mental ability tests are valid across many occupations,they are not equally valid among occupations.

Question 12

The Minnesota Clerical Test has consistently resulted in disparate impact.

Question 13

A score obtained from a general mental ability test is as good a predictor of job performance as is a composite score obtained from a test of specific abilities using multiple scales.

Question 14

Differential validity is a term used to describe the hypothesis that employment tests are less valid for minority group members than nonminorities.

Question 15

The Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test measures understanding of mechanical or physical principles.

Question 16

Mental ability tests are not interchangeable.

Question 17

Cognitive ability tests have yet to demonstrate adverse impact.

Question 18

Aptitude tests and achievement tests measure the same thing.

Question 19

Mental ability tests and I.Q.tests are the same type of test.

Question 20

Mental ability tests actually measure several distinct abilities.

Question 21

Research has consistently identified all but which of the following factors or components of physical abilities?

A)anaerobic strength
B)muscular strength
C)cardiovascular endurance
D)movement quality

Question 22

All of the following selection methods have demonstrated less adverse impact than cognitive ability tests EXCEPT:

A)assessment centers
B)academic performance
C)interview
D)personality inventories

Question 23

Why did the growing use of ability tests come to an abrupt halt during the late 1960s and 1970s?

A)because ability tests were becoming more costly to administer to large numbers of applicants
B)because other, more valid predictors of job performance became available
C)because of EEO laws and early Supreme Court decisions that specifically addressed a few of the most popular of these tests
D)because research evidence questioned the validity of these tests for predicting job performance

Question 24

Studies of the effects of coaching have found that it has a huge effect on test scores.

Question 25

What is a useful way to differentiate among ability tests?

A)content, breadth
B)length, depth
C)speed, power
D)physical, mental

Question 26

Mental ability tests are among the least valid of all selection tests.

Question 27

____________________ is a technique for analyzing the interrelationships among several tests or a set of tests.

A)Factor analysis
B)Reliability analysis
C)Validity analysis
D)Correlation analysis

Question 28

Which of the following is true about the Wonderlic Personnel Test?

A)It is an individually administered test.
B)It is not a timed test.
C)The primary factor measured is verbal comprehension.
D)There is one basic form for the test.

Question 29

Which of the following is not measured by mechanical ability tests?

A)spatial visualization
B)perceptual speed and accuracy
C)mechanical information
D)accuracy in processing verbal and numerical data

Question 30

A minimum reliability estimate of _____________ is commonly thought to be necessary for selection use.

A)-1.00 to 1.00
B).20 to .30`
C).50 to .75
D).85 to .9

Question 31

In terms of validity,which of the following selection methods are approximately equal to cognitive ability tests?

A)assessment centers
B)interview
C)personality inventories
D)projective techniques

Question 32

A social downside of the use of mental ability tests is that adverse impact usually occurs when these tests are used in selection.

Question 33

Which of the following is as inexpensive and easy to administer and score as a cognitive ability test?

A)assessment centers
B)academic performance
C)interview
D)biodata

Question 34

When an applicant takes a test without the presence of an organizational representative who monitors the testing behavior of the applicant they are taking a(n):

A)easy test.
B)proctored test.
C)unproctored test.
D)unprotected test.

Question 35

Unproctored Internet testing allows the processing of applicants to be completed and applicants to be selected more quickly than does traditional testing.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT an ability that has been extensively used to select employees for physically demanding jobs?

A)static strength
B)dynamic strength
C)gross body mass
D)stamina

Question 37

Validity studies for the same job have found which of the following to be true?

A)Corrections to the validity coefficients have lowered the magnitude of these coefficients.
B)The coefficients for performance are, as a whole, higher than those for training.
C)The validity coefficient for the predictor and criterion measures is stable across organizations.
D)Previous estimates of the validity of ability tests were quite accurate.

Question 38

Which type of physical ability test demonstrates relatively more adverse impact against females?

A)cardiovascular endurance
B)flexibility
C)coordination
D)balance

Question 39

Testing experts do not know whether transforming a paper-and-pencil test into an electronic form changes applicants' performance.

Question 40

What is the general conclusion of studies examining differential validity?

A)Differential validity exists, but it has a minor impact on selection.
B)Differential validity exists, and it has a major impact on selection.
C)Much more research is needed before we can conclude anything about differential validity.
D)Differential validity does not exist.

Question 41

Why is the distinction between aptitude and achievement tests difficult to specifically conceptualize?

Question 42

Which of the following has been shown to result in the most claims of discrimination?

A)cognitive ability tests
B)unstructured interviews
C)physical ability tests
D)structured interviews

Question 43

What is the distinction between validity generalization for the same job versus validity generalization across jobs?

Question 44

What is the scientific argument concerning whether or not tests are "culturally" fair?
a.What is the scientific evidence concerning this issue?
b.Why do claims of test bias persist in spite of conclusive evidence?

Question 45

Prepare a checklist that a practicing manager could use to help evaluate selection tests.What should he/she look for in advertising brochures in order to assess a vendor's claims? What questions should he/she ask of the test publisher?

Question 46

Your organization has not had any disabled applicants apply for a job.However,you are concerned that you must be ready for the likelihood that it will happen at some time in the future.What do you need to diagnose in your current selection program to be sure you are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Question 47

Summarize the major conclusions of validity generalization studies.
a.What are the implications of this research for human resource practice?
b.What cautions should be observed based upon the research that has criticized validity generalization procedures?
c.What validation practices would you recommend to an organization based upon these research findings?

Question 48

Which of the following statements concerning the use of validity generalization for establishing the validity of a cognitive ability test is true?

A)There have been few court cases and the decisions have not been consistent.
B)There have been few court cases but the decisions have been consistent.
C)There have been many court cases and the decisions have not been consistent.
D)There have been many court cases but the decisions have demonstrated validity.