Cognitive Ability Tests
Cognitive Ability Tests
Cognitive ability tests assess abilities involved in thinking (e.g., reasoning,
perception, memory, verbal and mathematical ability, and problem solving).
Such tests pose questions designed to estimate applicants' potential to use
mental processes to solve work-related problems or to acquire new job
knowledge.
Traditionally, the general trait measured by cognitive
ability tests is called "intelligence" or "general mental ability." However,
an intelligence test often includes various item types which measure different
and more specific mental factors often referred to as "specific mental
abilities." Examples of such items include arithmetic computations, verbal
analogies, reading comprehension, number series completion, and spatial
relations (i.e., visualizing objects in three-dimensional space).
Some cognitive ability tests sum up the correct answers to
all of the items to obtain an overall score that represents a measure of
general mental ability. If an individual score is computed for each of the
specific types of abilities (e.g., numeric, verbal, reasoning), then the
resulting scores represent measures of the specific mental abilities.
Traditional cognitive tests are well-standardized, contain
items reliably scored, and can be administered to large groups of
people at one time. Examples of item formats include multiple choice, sentence
completion, short answer, or true-false. Many professionally developed
cognitive tests are available commercially and may be considered when there is
no significant need to develop a test that refers specifically to the
particular job or organization.
Considerations:
- Validity — Tests of general
cognitive ability are good predictors of job performance and training
success for a wide variety of jobs (i.e., they have a high degree of criterion-related validity); The more complex
the job or training demands, the better these tests work; Other predictors
may add only small amounts of incremental validity
over cognitive tests
- Face
Validity/Applicant Reactions — Tests developed to refer explicitly
to specific jobs or types of jobs within the hiring organization may be
viewed as more highly related to the job (i.e., high face validity) than
commercially developed tests
- Administration Method — Can be administered via paper and pencil or electronically
- Subgroup Differences —
Cognitive ability tests typically produce racial and ethnic differences
larger than other valid predictors of job performance such as biodata, personality
tests, and structured interviews;
The use of other assessment methods (e.g., interviews, biodata
instruments) in combination with cognitive ability tests is recommended to
lower any potential adverse impact
- Development Costs — Cost of
purchasing a cognitive test is typically less expensive than developing a
customized test
- Administration Costs —
Generally inexpensive, requires few resources for administration, and does
not require skilled administrators
- Utility/ROI — High return on
investment if you need applicants who possess particular cognitive
abilities or have high potential to acquire job knowledge or benefit from
training; Cost effectiveness of developing own test over purchasing a
commercial test is lower when face validity is
not an issue
- Common Uses — Best used for
jobs requiring particular cognitive abilities for effective job
performance and for more complex jobs
References:
(See Section VI for a summary of each article)
Hunter, J. E.
(1986). Cognitive ability, cognitive aptitude, job knowledge, and job
performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 29(3), 340-362.
Murphy, K. R., Cronin, B. E., & Tam, A. P. (2003). Controversy and
consensus regarding the use of cognitive ability testing in organizations. Journal
of Applied Psychology, 88(4), 660-671.
Outtz, J. L.
(2002). The role of cognitive ability tests in employment selection. Human
Performance, 15(1-2), 161-172.
Ree, M. J.,
Earles, J. A., & Teachout, M. S. (1994). Predicting job performance: Not
much more than g. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(4), 518-524.
Schmidt, F. L.,
& Hunter, J. (2004). General mental ability in the world of work:
Occupational attainment and job performance. Journal of Personality &
Social Psychology, 86(1), 162-173.
NOTE: The following Society for Industrial and
Organizational Psychology (SIOP) website contains information on Cognitive
Ability Tests:
http://www.siop.org/workplace/employment%20testing/employment_testing_toc.aspx