1. Chapter 4: Predictors: Psychological Assessment
Learning Objectives
• Identify the major types of reliability and what they measure.
• Understand the major manifestations of validity and what they measure.
• Know the major types of psychological tests categorized by administration and content.
• Explain the role of psychological testing in making assessments of people, including ethical issues and predictive accuracy.
• Explain non-test predictors such as interviews, assessment centers, work samples, biographical information, and letters of recommendation.
• Understand the controversial methods of assessment.

2. Figure 4-1 Badge worn by a salesperson referencing “validate” and “validation”.

10. Chapter Summary
• Predictors are methods (such as a test, interview, or letter of recommendation) used to forecast (or predict) a criterion.
• High-quality predictors must manifest two psychometric standards: reliability and validity.
• Psychological tests and inventories have been used to predict relevant workplace criteria for more than 100 years.
• Psychological assessment is a big business. There are many publishers of psychological tests used to assess candidates’ suitability for employment.
• The most commonly used predictors are tests of general mental ability, personality inventories, aptitude tests, work samples, interviews, and letters of recommendation.
• Predictors can be evaluated in terms of their validity (accuracy), fairness, cost, and applicability.
• Online testing is a major trend in psychological assessment.
• Controversial methods of prediction include polygraphy, graphology, and tests of emotional intelligence.
• There are broad cross-cultural differences in the acceptability of predictors used to evaluate job candidates. The interview is the most universally accepted method.