Psychometric Test Essay

Cohen, R. J., Swerdlik, M. E., & Sturman, E. D. (2013). Psychological testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement (8th Ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

     These tests use reasoning, analysis, problem solving, and what your previous knowledge of the subject is. It measures the kinds of tasks that college students are expected to learn (http://www.act.org, 2004).

"Tests that are not so categorized will tend to be viewed less positively, regardless of psychometric data, because they are, after all, not objective" (Meyer & Kurtz, 2006, p. 223). Because of the past, there is too much negativity surrounding the term, projective. The terminology both, "objective" and "projective" are not necessarily what they seem. "The term "objective" is a smokescreen for measures that can be just as subjective as anything else and the term "projective" is derived from untenable theoretical concepts that have continued to create confusion in the field for a long time" (Schultheiss, 2007, p. 197). Some other substantial problem is when the effects of a test cannot be duplicated by the same test more than one time. "If assessment psychologists did not derive overarching frameworks and terminologies for classifying psychological tests, those who use, study, or critique these tests would do it anyway. In this respect, it is better that an organizing framework be made explicit (and the logic underlying the framework spelled out in detail) than that multiple contrasting framework and labels emerge in isolation among different segments of the psychological community" (Bornstein, 2007, p. 205). The volume of the dilemmas above have all been a culmination of psychologists and psychiatrists in this community and

Unfortunately, many employers have two avenues in the realm of privacy issues in which they can legally and “morally” use personality tests. “It should be noted, however, that two defense are available for employers in actions for invasion of privacy. The first is when the applicant or employee consents to the use of personality testing. The second is when the employer can show qualified privilege, meaning that testing results were disclosed as a necessity of making a job-related decision.” (Mello, 625) In many cases, these two options apply and privacy laws cannot restrict an employer from exercising such testing in the workplace or in the hiring and firing process because personalities are not a protect class under Title VII. Therefore, the next question is to determine if the action by the employer to use personality testing and emotional intelligence results is a good workplace ethic and if there are any employee ramifications for partaking in the activity.

Other challenges include determining best predictor and criterion variables like criterion for assessing job performance and what to include when providing an operational definition. Finding and opting for the right instruments is another dilemma as sometimes instruments selected were not developed for the purpose for which they are applied e.g: MMPI used as a personality test in IO settings is questioned as it was primarily developed to assess psychopathology. Even computerized tests currently in use also have their possible sets of pros and cons leading to unique demands that need to be

Employers need to make decisions and wade through a sea of endless job applications and resumes daily. Their goal of course is to filter as best they can the qualified and appropriate candidates from the position and over time most organizations get to the point of fine tuning their testing procedures. Testing I’ve been aware of over the years can range dramatically from cognitive tests to ethical ones to technical or moral testing. Most tests are centered on their own job knowledge career field, personality or physical ability testing.

The psychometric testing in other words may be called as “measurement of the mind”. During the selection process the education level, skills and experience are the things, which are normally estimated, however the behavioral traits and personality of a candidate is much more difficult to assess during an interview. As a result

Aptitude test is taken to measure the level of ability of the candidates and psychometric profiling will be able to examine personality and attitude.

Recruitment and selection tests “aim to provide a potential employer with an insight into how well you work with other people, how well you handle stress, and whether you will be able to cope with the intellectual demands of the job” (Psychometric Success, 2013). These tests are split into personality tests and aptitude/ability test. LL would benefit from personality tests for all employees to ensure

If Amtrak and Metrolink want to use personality tests on their employees, the MMPI would be most effective. The positives of this test far outweigh the cons. The test examines everything about a person, from their self-esteem to emotions. It can also identify any signs of disorder in an individual. It is also widely used by many different companies to assess the success a person might have in a high-risk public safety position. The MMPI is widely considered to be the most reliable personality test. It dives much deeper into a person's psyche than any of its counterparts, like the Rorschach Test. The only downside to the MMPI is the amount of time it takes to complete. With 567 true-false questions, it can take a while to complete, but the information

(Personality Tests > Even Popular Tests are Controversial , 2009) There is no right or wrong answers to the test questions that are asked. It simply asks for what is your preference of the choices given. It is simply looking for your preferences in order to understand the difference between people. (Take the MBTI® Instrument, No Year) For each of the 16 types of people, none of them are considered to be better or worse than any of the other types. The results are not compared against any norms. The point of taking the test is to understand your personality type. When receiving the results the test, the score is only for helping to identify any possible preferences that could help understand strengths or weaknesses that the test taker might have. (Cherry, 2012)

Selecting tests can measure knowledge, skills and ability, as well as other characteristics, such as personality traits and they are useful to evaluate the right employee for a specific role, by identifying the candidate personality. For example, if a company or department needs to hire a new manager, a psychological/aptitude test may help to understand better if the candidate has the features required for that specific job position (strong leadership skills, such as high self-confidence, calmness, flexibility, etc).

An individual’s personality is measured with a personality assessment instrument that encompasses theories and technique. Traditionally psychoanalytical theories provided an outline for accepting behavior that was abnormal and perceptions that prophesized the outcome for prospect behavior. Since projecting personality trait occurs, career counselors, and organizations utilize personality assessment instruments for screening potential employees for qualification. Additionally, personality assessment instruments are used in detecting personality disorders and abnormal behaviors. This

Companies have started to use personality tests in the past five years so that they can find a potential employee’s strengths and weaknesses. If questions and answers are quite accurate and test is done properly it can help an employer to find more about person’s advantages and disadvantages. It is very important to know because one of the most important points is that most of personality tests help to recognize unqualified candidates. “Although experts warn that many personality assessments don't deliver what they promise, legitimate scientifically validated tests are helping employers evaluate job candidates to select those best suited for particular positions. Other tests are designed to measure intelligence, honesty, management aptitude and other qualities.”

Projective tests allow many psychologists to assess unconscious aspects of personality, a great advantage of projective testing is that since the subject doesn't know how can his or her response will be interpreted dues to the fact that there is no grading scale to go by, the subject is not easily led to lie or fake his or her personality traits. On the downside the responder's attitude can easily be influenced by the test setting, also since there is no grading scale the test results tend to lack validity and reliability, since the results may vary by examiners.