Margaret A. Howell

Testing aptitude for computer programming.

This study explored the usefulness of a simulated work sample of programming (the Robot Test developed by the Bureau of the Census) as a criterion for validating programmer selection tests. In two samples of Civil Service employees in the United States Public Health Service, this type of criterion appeared quite predictable, with multiple correlations of .60 (N = 135) and .71 (N = 118). The best predictors of those studied were Parts 2 and 3 of the Programmer Aptitude Test, a frequently used selection test for programming. In one sample, the addition of the Numerical part of the Federal Service Entrance Examination significantly improved prediction of the criterion. Further research on the Robot Test is recommended.

FURTHER VALIDATION OF METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIANS

&Harris, 1957). The experimental Efficiency Report contains four kinds of performance evaluation methods: 50 Forced-Choice tetrads (FC), a 10-point scale for rating Job Proficiency (JP), eight 10-point scales for rating various Personal Qualifications (PQ), and a 22-item Check List (CL). When the original and cross-validation samples of physicians were combined in the previous study, validity coefficients for the various evaluation methods ranged from .54 to .62 and produced a multiple correlation of .68 against a rating criterion, the average rating given by work associates in evaluating a physician’s Work Performance. Optimum weights for combining the evaluation methods in the Report were determined by the Wherry-Doolittle method (Garrett, 1947). The FC and JP sections were selected as predictors with about equal weights, and the resulting multiple was significantly larger than the highest single validity. The present study, undertaken as a part of the Officer Selection and Evaluation Program (Newman, 1951), is a further validation of

The Analysis and Prediction of a Practical Examination in Dentistry

THIS paper reports the relationship between a practical examination and other methods used in the selection of dentists where the practical examination is viewed as a criterion of professional performance. Since 1950, a number of reports concerned with the prediction of success in dental school, such as those by Weiss (10) and Peterson (6), have appeared in the literature, as well as an analysis of the critical requirements in dentistry (9). To the authors’ knowledge, however, the present study is the first report on

Forced Choice Tetrads—Effect of Scoring Procedure and Key Length On Validity and Reliability

method than from other methods of performance evaluation (5) (6) (7). These reports led to a decision by the authors to study the validity of the Army forced choice tetrads when used with professional personnel employed in a variety of health specialties within the Public Health Service. Major findings of the study will be reported at a later time; as part of the study, however, information was obtained on the following methodological problems. Does the use of both positively and negatively weighted alternatives in scoring forced choice tetrads significantly increase validity and reliability over that obtained by the use of positive weights only? In this paper, positively weighted alternatives are those

Combining the Ipsative and Normative Approaches in Selection Validation

THE traditional model of selection validation is that of a predictor validated against a criterion, a measure of job performance. Elaborations of the model include multiple correlation involving more than a single predictor and canonical correlation which deals with multiple criteria as well as multiple predictors. Basic to the classical validation model is the concept of reliability of measurement in which it has been assumed that an obtained score

Medical Interns: a Study of Types

as psychiatric types (Monro, 1955), the ideal administrator (Van Dusen and Rector, 1963), self-ideal correlation as a measure of self satisfaction (Nahinsky, 1966), self-ideal ratings related to therapy (Phillips, Raiford, and El-Batrawi, 1965), and personality theories (Kelly, 19-63). Many of the applications have been reviewed by Wittenborn (1961). One of the controversies which has surrounded the use of the Q technique has been whether or not it yields different results from an R approach. As Broverman ( 1961 ) expresses it: &dquo;Stephenson ... has maintained that Q technique gives different results than R technique. Burt... , Eysenck ... , and others, ... have argued that the two techniques are essentially transpositions of each other ...&dquo; (Broverman, 1961, p. 68). Broverman takes issue with the notion that the results yielded are the same and suggests that standardizing the rows of scores for each person as well as standardizing the columns produces &dquo;ipsative&dquo; scores. He proposes that factors obtained by the Q technique be termed &dquo;normative personological&dquo; factors. Lorr, Jenkins, and Medland (1955) have suggested that, in some instances, a Q analysis may be more useful than another

DO OBJECTIVE PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS INVOLVE REASONING

An objective professional examination in medicine and three relatively “pure” tests of reasoning were administered to a key development group of 88 medical interns and a cross-validation group of 83 interns. Results suggest that professional examination items involving reasoning can be identified by a physician or by item-analysis against reasoning tests. Judgmentally identified items correlated .35 to .49 with general and deductive reasoning; items identified by item-analysis correlated on cross-validation, .37 to .46 with these reasoning factors. (Spearman-Brown estimates were in the .50-.70 range.)