PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS AND ALL ABOUT IT
The history of test development goes back to
400 BC when Hippocrates attempted to define four basic temperament types:
sanguine, melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic. Alec Rodger created the definition
'fitting the man to the job'
nowadays more known as Titling the person
to the job' which exactly describes
the concern of a psychometric test. (Bruch, 2005).The fact that tests are standard methods of
assessment is extremely important, and is what makes them different from the
'Personality' and 'Check your own Intelligence' quizzes found in magazines.
Crucially, tests are also administered under carefully control-led and timed
conditions by a trained individual, who additionally follows precise
instructions for scoring and interpreting the results. Is the person above or
below average? How much is the person above or below? These features of psychometric
tests are also what distinguish them from most forms of examinations. The
results a person achieves are compared with a representative sample of people
(the normative group) who have completed the test before. Psychometric tests
are different because everyone is presented with the same questions and
instructions for completing them. Practically this means that tests assess
things like verbal ability, such as how good you are at understanding the
meaning of words, or comprehending the information in a written passage. (Parkinson, 2010).
Figure 1.0: Psychometric test
In practice where they fit into the whole
recruitment process. The first group are called intelligence or ability tests and the second group include personality or vocational interest
questionnaires or tests. Psychometric tests are a series of standardised tasks, designed in such a way that everyone
who takes them receives the same task to do and the same instructions for doing
them. Two main types of test exist: tests that have right or wrong answers, and
tests in which you say what's typical of you. (Healy,
2008). Psychometric test is 'a standardized sample of
behavior' that can be described by a numerical scale or category system. These
consist of three main forms (Coates, 2001).
1. intelligence tests
2. ability
or aptitude tests
3. Personality
questionnaires.
Example:
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Answer is D
Explanation: The large circle is always
situated in one of the corners of the square and is moving one corner
anticlockwise at each stage. The small circle is always situated in the middle
of one of the sides of the square and is moving one side anti-clockwise at each
stage. (Carter, 2011).
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How well do you cope under pressure
1. How important to you is the need to
succeed?
a) Quite important
b) Very important
c) It is not something I think about a great deal
2. Flow often have you taken time off work
due to stress?
a) Twice or less
b) More than twice
c) Never
3. Do you believe you are a person who is
thought of by others as someone who is able to keep a cool head in a crisis?
a) sometimes, but often someone who keeps a cool head in a
crisis has not got a grasp of the situation
b) Not really
c) Yes, that is how 1 believe others rightly perceive me
4. Which of the following would you say
would be most beneficial to reducing stress and enabling you to relax after a
particularly busy day at the office?
a) a couple of hours sleep in my favourite armchair
b) A nice stiff whisky or other spirit
c) Eat a bar of chocolate
5. Does working to deadlines give you a buzz?
a)
no, but working to deadlines is a necessary evil most of us have
to cope with to
b)
no, I find working to
deadlines quite a worry and much prefer being able to set my own pace
c)
yes, I believe I work well under pressure
6. Do you believe that modem living creates
much more pressure than, say, 40 years ago?
a) Perhaps
b) Yes
c) No
7. You are suddenly asked to look after
your nephew's three unruly children for the weekend due to a family crisis. How
would you feel about doing this?
a) It would worry me
b) I would find the thought of it so horrendous that I would
probably try to get out of doing it
c) I would relish the challenge
8. Have you ever damaged anything due
tofedi rig the pnvaire?
a) Not actually damaged anything although I have done such
things as slamming down the phone on occasions
b) Yes
c) no
9. Do you find that little, almost
insignificant, things occasionally upset you?
a) Yes, occasionally
b) More than occasionally
c) Rarely or never
10. Do you ever discuss your feelings with
other people?
a) Occasionally
b) Rarely or never
c) More than occasionally
11. Do you believe in pushing yourself
harder and harder?
a) Sometimes
b) Yes, that is the best way to make a success out of life
c) No, life's too short
12 How do you feel about having several
tasks on the go at the same time?
a) It does not bother me
b) I prefer one job at a time
c) I prefer having several tasks on the go at the same time
13. How often do you get angry and upset
with yourself if you make a mistake or things do not go the way you expected?
a) Occasionally, as I suppose do most people
b) Probably more than the average person
c) Probably less than the average person
14. Have you ever taken any sort of
medication, including Pills, in order to relieve stress?
a)
occasionally
b)
b) more than occasionally
c)
c) never
15. Have you ever suffered from stress
due to having to give up something such as caffeine or nicotine?
a) Not apart from a few withdrawal symptoms
b) Yes
c) no
Assessment
Award
yourself 2 points for every 'c' answer, I point for every 'a, and 0 points for
every b
20-30
Points
•
The only word of
caution about being in the fortunate position of having this temperament and
attitude is that you should still be prepared for potentially pressurising
situations which inevitably will occur.
•
It is also worth
remembering that a certain amount of tension is positive since people do
respond to, and are encouraged by, challenges.
•
You are likely to be
thought of by others as someone who is extremely laid back and almost totally
relaxed, and you are able to keep things in proportion almost at all times.
9-19
Points
•
While you do find
yourself pressurised and stressed out on occasions, this rends to be the
exception rather than the rule, and, more importantly, such situations are
never long-lasting. (Carter
and Russell, 2003)
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<
It is a tool to help
understand the personality of the potential candidates at the selection stage,
and to exploit his latent qualities to his and the organization's advantage at
a future stage. This could be due to the negative perception among the companies
that there is no immediate benefit available to the employers from the
psychometric test, which measures the latent talents of the candidates. The
fundamental objective of a psychometric test is to help screen candidates at
the initial stage of recruitment. In fact, adding a psychometric test to the
selection process can increase the accuracy of the candidate's assessment to 85
percent. Several top companies like TCS. InfoTech, Escosoft Technologies, UB,
Bharti and I.G have incorporated psychometric tests in their selection process (Durai, 2010).
More companies seem to
be following the lead publicly made so evident by Nissan and other Japanese
companies. While workforces are certainly much reduced there would now appear
to be more care taken in the selection of that reduced employee stock. (Goss,
1993). The science of psychological testing has always responded to the needs
of a changing society in which man is changing faster, and his mind is
increasingly becoming erratic and unpredictable. The current testing scenario
is no longer dominated by a single construct or faculty, as happened earlier in
the case of mental testing and personality testing. Also, the current trend is
dominated by the use of technology in testing and the World Wide Web has opened
the scope of virtual testing. Apart from increasing emphasis on specialisation,
psychomericians have also shifted their attention towards what can be called
'Positive Testing. (Chadha, 2009).
HRM in practice 5.5 Hilton International: spreading
the web Beal (2004) notes how Hilton International wanted to improve its fast
track Elevator programme - a selection tool introduced in 1998 and designed to
recruit highly talented graduates as future hotel general managers. To
streamline its selection tool, Hilton International commissioned the
business-psychology consultancy Human Factor International to introduce a
web-based screening system - 'virtual psychologist' - running five European
languages. As such, the Elevator scheme, which involved hand-processing and
scoring an application form, conducting a face-to-face meeting, psychometric
testing and conducting a final 24-h assessment centre, proved costly and
time-consuming, especially n terms of senior management involvement.
(Nickson, 2007).
Conclusion
These
features of psychometric tests are also what distinguish them from most forms
of examinations. Psychometric tests are different because everyone is presented
with the same questions and instructions for completing them. The
fundamental objective of a psychometric test is to help screen candidates at
the initial stage of recruitment. Psychometric test is 'a standardized
sample of behavior' that can be described by a numerical scale or category
system. Psychometric tests are a series of standardised tasks, designed in
such a way that everyone who takes them receives the same task to do and the same
instructions for doing them. InfoTech, Escosoft Technologies, UB, Bharti
and I.G have incorporated psychometric tests in their selection process.
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References
Bruch, M. (2005). Psychometric
tests - An effective method of matching people to jobs?. GRIN Verlag,
pp.3-5.
Carter, P. and Russell, K.
(2003). More psychometric testing. Chichester: John Wiley &
Sons, Ltd., pp.9-16.
Carter, P. (2011). IQ
and psychometric test workbook. Kogan Page Publishers, pp.139-140.
Coates, M. (2001). Psychology
and organizations. Oxford: Heinemann, pp.6-7.
Chadha, N. (2009). Applied
Psychometry. India: Sage Publications India.
Durai, P. (2010). Human
resource management. Chennai: Pearson, pp.165-167.
Goss, D. (1993). Principles
of Human Resource Management Principles of Management. Cengage Learning
EMEA, pp.45-47.
Healy, L. (2008). Psychometric
tests for dummies. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nickson, D. (2007). Human
resource management for the hospitality and tourism industries.
illustrated, reprint ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier, p.101.
Parkinson, M. (2010). How
to master psychometric tests. 4th ed. London: Kogan Page, pp.6-7.
Psysoft Ltd. (2017). What are the benefits of using psychometric
tests in recruitment?. [Online Video]. 30 May 2017. Available from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5wJ9JbhmAM. [Accessed: 10 October 2018].
You have clearly identified the importance of having psychometric tests in an organisation where effective recruitment and selection is vital. Moerdyk, in an article by Mittner (1998), also mentioned that if psychometric tests are handled with insight and sensitivity, they remain the most effective way of predicting behavior. Accordingly the organisation will be able to exert effective training program to measure commitment level of employees and it will leads to motivate them through effective performance management.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with you Lasitha, a validation study could be conducted to identify which psychometric test correlates the most with effective work performance within a particular organisation; this is often called venture marking.
DeleteTest publishers may agree to do such studies for free, as this gives them useful evidence that their questionnaires are effective workplace assessments.
It can mean that recruitment processes can be refined by retaining the most useful assessments and have a positive outcome on-the-job performance(Cripps, 2017).
Sheriff, it is a good approach to emphasize importance of psychometric tests. Through psychometric tests employers concentrate on evaluating Cognitive ability of employees in their recruitment and selection process. According to Gottfredson (1997) cognitive ability is the capability to perform higher mental processes of reasoning, remembering, understanding, think abstractly and problem solving. This could be achieved by learning and from experience but not merely by book learning.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with you Samanthi, These fall into four main categories covering the cognitive abilities such as numerical or verbal reasoning; psychometric abilities like hand—eye co-ordination; physical abilities relating to stamina and strength; and sensory abilities concerning vision, hearing and speech.
DeleteFor example, some jobs require verbal and numerical ability; while others demand numerical and perceptual reasoning (understanding diagrams) and perfect colour vision Parkinson M, 2008)
Psychometric test has become a major trend which processing when hiring new people to an organization. These days many candidates are studying and preparing in a better way to face the interviews. Therefore most of the true qualities will not be presented in an interview since many candidates are following a common structure which is accepted by the society. Therefore psychometric test plays a huge role in hiring the most fitting man for the job. Other than that, Merwe (2002) also recommend that psychometric test is useful for placement, promotions and transfers aswell.
ReplyDeleteDear Sheriff,your Blog assignment reflects a different way of expedite the importation of psychometric test in current context. Well structured pattern and most valuable new ideas were highlighted by you. The steps to cope up the pressure explain lot of the subject and can apply to the real business environment. The three elements
ReplyDelete1. Intelligence tests
2. ability or aptitude tests
3. Personality questionnaires.
are the key forms as you correctly discussed in the Blog.
The test itself will not fulfill the best HRM approach in talent acquisition. The psychometric test is required to fulfill the choice of the best tool and it also must be customized according to the given role / situation or organization (Fernandes, 2015). Therefore, the effectiveness of assessment depends on its combination with the other techniques as well since a narrow view does not help the organization to understand the person it wishes to recruit. Thus it is essential that psychometric test should become a part of the recruitment process and not the whole recruitment process.
ReplyDeleteYes Amal I agree with you this should not be applied for the whole of the recruitment process but to some extent we need to add it. Since Psychometric tests are psychological assessments that give feedback on peoples' characteristics. And it can be clearly linked to the performance of the job(Beech and MacIntosh, 2012).
DeleteAccording to (Susan Kihn), Conducting psychometric testing helps to give companies a benchmark to work to in terms of objectively measured abilities. It can challenge the company’s initial perceptions that can often be influenced by candidates who answer questions where they tell the interviewer rather what they think they want to hear, than the real truth. It gives the recruiter an opportunity to explore other avenues of concern. This can be done by arranging further interviews where they take a more in-depth look at certain areas. Or by focusing on specific areas when doing reference checks, based on the test results and findings.
ReplyDeleteYes Ruwini, to over come this With an understanding of reliability and the nature of measurement error, we can use an individual's observed score from one testing occasion to estimate the results of the second testing occasion. An individual's test score at one point is artificially high or low compared with the score that the individual would likely obtain if he or she took the test a second time. Both of those observed test scores could be considered point estimates of the individual's true score. As a matter of fact, if an individual took the same test on two occasions, then he or she would likely obtain two observed scores that are at least slightly different from each other (Furr and Bacharach, 2014).
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteVery informative blog Sheriff. Companies spend millions of pounds a year on psychometric tests which measure personality types, learning styles and the personal preferences of their employees (Harper,2008). Also (Pasquali,2008,p.993) says that Modern psychometrics can be traced back to two sources: The Classical Test Theory (CTT), and the Item Response Theory (IRT). In a general sense, psychometrics attempts to explain the meaning of responses given by subjects in a series of tasks typically named as items.
The theory of response to the Item (IRT) has advantages that they allow to overcome some limitations of the classical theory of tests (CTT) As well as the CTT focuses more on the global properties of the test, the IRT is more focused on the properties of the items.
DeleteThe main limitations of the CTT and the change of approach that is given through the IRT, are as follows: The main limitation is that the characteristics of the test and the people scores, not may be tested separately (Orús Lacort, 2003)
Hi sheriff, Very rare topic and thank you for assisting us to get a good idea on PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS.As per Sreenidhi et al (2013) Today, the world of psychometrics has opened up a new holistic dimension of Understanding people’s attitudes, beliefs, values, competencies and personalities. Therefore in future we have to assess everything related with employees with the PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS.
ReplyDeleteThat is correct Suresh the future will be the digital badging movement, coupled to the use of big data and new forms of digital CV, will render many of the current applications for high-stakes testing redundant. The basis for employee development will in the near future be derived from the data yielded by wearable devices and not from psychometric tests (Cripps, 2007)
DeleteInteresting topic that you have brought forward. Psychometric testing is very important when selecting staff to an organization. A personality test describes your ideal workplace. Psychometric test can identify objectively where the abilities lie, and what sort of personality you have. So as long as the appropriate tests are used, they can provide a fair and accurate way of helping to pick the best person for the job (Mark, 2008)
ReplyDeleteHowever, jobs that require a high level of accuracy often need you to perform the work quickly and under pressure. As a result, these tests don't just assess accuracy — they also look at how fast you can work while remaining accurate. Many people are capable of working to a very high level of accuracy given enough time (Healy, 2011).
DeleteSherif you have clearly emphasize effects of the Psychometric test. According to Eckstein (1998), the Employment Equity Act highlights the importance of the validation of any instruments to be used for assessment and selection purposes. This is a definite move towards making selection decisions more scientific. A selection procedure may be fairly simple or very complex, depending on the nature of the organisation, the task for which individuals are being selected, and the philosophy of human resource management (Aiken, 1994).
ReplyDeleteEmployment Equity Act prohibits psychological testing and other similar assessments of an employee unless the test or assessment has been scientifically proven to be valid and reliable, can be applied fairly to all employees and is not biased against any employee or group (Swanepoel, Erasmus and Schenk, 2008).
DeleteHi , Sheriff , Your blog has communicated importance of psychometric test and how it can help to the organization. In addition Psychometric testing is traditionally utilised by organisations to examine the compatibility between a job vacancy and a potential employee. It allows the company to assess a candidate’s suitability by testing factors such as their abilities, personality, and motivation. The knowledge obtained from these tests offer decision makers valuable insight in choosing the right person for the job by ultimately comparing the job requirements to the mental and emotional capacity of the candidate (Carter , 2011)
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with you Ajantha, These tests are used in selecting candidates for various roles. Such as sales jobs, supervisory jobs, management trainee.. Because certain personality characteristics are essential to succeed in such jobs. Aptitude tests measure whether an individual has the capacity or latent ability to learn a new job, if given adequate training.
DeleteTests of achievement measure the present level of proficiency that a person has achieved. These tests can also be used at the end of training programmes to assess the level of proficiency achieved. Personality tests are used to assess certain personality characteristics. Personality tests of emotional stability, interest, values, traits.
These tests measure skills and abilities that have the potential for later development in the person tested (Sharma and Goya 2017).
Hi Sheriff, your blog on Psychometric tests and its importance in hiring and managing staff is really useful to enhance our knowledge on the use of Psychometric tests in business organizations. Psychometric tests of ability and personality have long been used in organizational settings also to facilitate the decision making process (Bartram, 2004; Jeanneret and Silzer, 2000).Moreover, the beliefs and the knowledge of HR professionals on various assessment techniques especially about the Psychometric tests are increasingly becoming high and largely used in the present business context (Furnham, 2008).
ReplyDeleteyes that is correct, it is all about the bottom line on the long run. According to Anna and Lai (2009) a perfectly reliable assessment tool which reliably measures customer service traits in the selection of insurance agents may not have the same validity as a measure of customer service orientation for a cabin crew attendant.
DeleteThe only true measure of the worth or value of an assessment tool such as a psychometric test is its scientific validity and therefore its effectiveness at predicting good performers in the job.
Sherif, you have clearly described the effects of the Psychometric test. I totally agreed what you commented in your blog that features of psychometric tests are also what distinguish them from most forms of examinations. Psychometric tests are different since everyone is presented with the same questions and instructions for completing them.
ReplyDeleteA selection procedure may be fairly simple or very complex, depending on the nature of the organization, the task for which individuals are being selected, and the philosophy of human resources management (Aiken, 1994). Hence, it is essential that psychometric test should become a part of the recruitment process in any organization.
Psychological test scores are often used by psychologists and others to make deci-sions that have important effects on people's lives.
DeleteThere are uncounted other, albeit less dramatic, instances in which the reliability of scores on psychological tests can have an impact on the lives of ordinary people.
This may be an extreme example of how test scores can affect our lives, but it illustrates the importance of having reliable scores(Furr and Bacharach 2013).
Hi Sheriff. You have taken a topic not so popular and hard one to deal with, however, have given a very good account of what it is and the effectiveness of it in an organization although and one which may be used as a tool in selection and recruitment. Many a organization globally uses and prefer less expensive methods, such as structured interviews and psychometric tests. (DeCenzo & Robbins 2009, 160; Rashmi 2010, 91-92). However, they will need to be reviewed on a constant basis.
ReplyDeleteWithin their own sphere of influence, works to further reviewing organisational goals through the use of emerging technologies and products that could change the Psychometric testing (Cripps, 2017)
DeleteHi Sherrington . Well descriptive blog .interesting topic .psychology metric tests are assisted to identify strengthso and loopholes of the personalities .And also is assisted to identify reaction pattern to critical situations , decision making abilities of the particular person.03 types of test types(Coates,2001) are assisted to identify aforesaid factors . My recommendation is Psychology Metric tests should applicable Even for the driving tests related to drivers to showcase their eligibility for driving ,which will minimize accidents and save many livesuppliers .
ReplyDeleteHi sheriff -A psychometric test is often used as part of employment testing, both for candidates applying for new jobs and for evaluation of existing employees in departmental or role transition. Psychometric tests that gauge and report on psychological factors have become very popular among large businesses.Cognitive ability is the capability to perform higher mental processes of reasoning, remembering, understanding, think abstractly and problem solving. Gottfredson (1997)
ReplyDeleteBy going through your web log, it perfectly describes vital facts about psychometric assessments and its importance to an organizations perspective. Although employee assessments cannot be done alone with this technique only, its one of the common tools that is evident in most of employee resourcing processes. As per Sreenidhi et al (2013) “Psychometrics has opened up a new holistic dimension of understanding people’s attitudes, beliefs, values, competencies and personalities”. However the blog is self comprehensively describes the importants of the subject doing justice to its title.
ReplyDeletePsychometric tests are an additional opportunity to demonstrate your skills.
ReplyDeleteIn a careers or job interview, it is impossible to give the full picture of your skills and personality. A person’s c.v. and qualifications may say very little about them if their strengths lie in areas which are not covered by conventional qualifications. Certain skills are, in fact, better measured using carefully constructed psychometric tests (e.g. problem-solving, spatial ability).
Hi Sheriff, It's nice to read an interesting topic related blog from you. I went through with the article and I found some critics related to the psychometric test and The major weaknesses of test-retest measures of reliability are the memory reactivity effects. Respondents ’ memories tend to decline as the time between tests lengthens. The reactivity effect is a change in test response related to the observer ’ s presence (Polit & Beck, 2004).
ReplyDeletePsychometric tests are commonly employed as aids in occupational decisions, including the selection and classification of human resources. From the assembly- line operator or filing clerk, to top management, there is scarcely a type of job for which some kind of psycho- metric test has not proved helpful in such matters as hiring, job assignment, transfer, promotion, or termination (Anastasi & Urbina, 1997).
ReplyDeleteAccording to Owen and Taljaard (1996), it appears that psychometric tests can contribute to the efficiency of selection and placement in industry, if used carefully and responsibly.
Hi Sheriff ,You have selected a unique topic of" Importance of Psychometric test and how it can help in hiring and managing staff ."Psychometric tests provide an objective way of assessing your strengths and weaknesses. They are developed by trained psychologists using
ReplyDeleterigorous methods to ensure that the tests are unbiased and do not contain material which could favor certain candidates. The tests are ‘standardized’, meaning they have been tested on people of a similar age and background and performance is interpreted relative to that standard.
Psychometric tests are also objective in terms of scoring. Most tests use multiple-choice questions with set right and wrong answers, so there is no room for bias in marking( Team Focus Limited ,2002).
It may be worth noting that most of the studies which found evidence of bias are twenty or thirty years old, and that more recent studies have produced little evidence of bias.
DeleteThe early studies demonstrating bias have highlighted the problem and have resulted in measures being taken to combat it.
For example, it is now common practice for all work to be marked anonymously to avoid the potential for the name of the student to influence the mark awarded (McCarthy, 2017)
ReplyDelete@ Sheriff According to more recent studies into Recruitment, one of the areas which was extensively highlighted was the “ Unconscious Biases “ which impacted hiring processes. In order to overcome preferences based on race ethnicity or social groups, employers now focus on developing interviewers skills to be competency based or skill based in terms of evaluation. This further, incorporates a fool proof personality or psychometric tests which have been designed according to the employer specification and skill requirements to meet certain job roles.This also means , avoiding unsuitable candidates joining,which can impact the organization at later stages in terms of engagement or even low performance. Therefore, choosing the right candidates at first instance is one of the scopes of a talent acquisition team which should be carefully planned. (cut-e,2018).
Including Psychological Testing, Psychometrics , Educational Measurement, Personality Assessment, Cognitive Assessment, Clinical Assessment, and frankly any type of Assessment course.
DeleteMoreover, it could be an important part of courses with an emphasis on measurement in many areas of basic and applied science—for example, in medical training, sociology, exercise science, and public health.
On the other hand, it is more intuitive and conceptual than the highly technical treatment in books and journal articles intended for use by professionals in the field of psychometrics (Furr and Bacharach,2013).
Hi Sheriff, You have selected one of the best topics in HRM psychometric test. Saying that, it has pros and cons in implementing. “Prior to hiring, we work out the personality type we want and write the ad appropriately,” says Managing Director James Eling. “This helps attract the right people.” “This is where how the test is sold to an employer matters greatly, as does the format of the report it produces,” he says. Jodette Cleary adds, “Small businesses should ensure they utilise the expertise of the test provider in assessing and interpreting test results” (Alexander, 2018).
ReplyDelete