Question 1

When the decision accuracy of a selection battery is examined, the number of applicants who were not hired but who would have been successful performers can be labeled as:

Accepted Answer

A) false positives. 
B) correct rejections. 
C) false alarms. 
D) misses.

Question 2

Draw a diagram that depicts the decision accuracy of a selection decision, where the predictor battery is on the x-axis and the criterion is on the y-axis. Label each quadrant to reflect the accuracy of the selection decision.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Draw a diagram that depicts the decision...

Question 3

In which case might an organization be willing to spend a great deal of money on a selection battery?

Accepted Answer

A) when there is a high likelihood of a hit 
B) when a false alarm is very costly to the organization 
C) when the selection ratio is 1.00 or higher 
D) when the validity is low

Question 4

Describe the two recent Supreme Court cases involving the University of Michigan. How were the rulings in the two cases different? What might be the impact of these rulings on selection decisions in the workplace?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the two recent Supreme Court cases...

Question 5

Lauren validated her selection battery and found a validity coefficient of .74. Later, her selection battery yielded a validity coefficient of .67 when she used a different sample of participants. This drop in the validity coefficient is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A) validity generalization. 
B) cross-invalidation. 
C) validity shrinkage. 
D) regression to the mean.

Question 6

_____ is a statistical technique that estimates how well a series of predictors forecasts a performance criterion.

Accepted Answer

A) Utility analysis 
B) Decision accuracy 
C) Validity generalization 
D) Multiple regression

Question 7

A department store uses a personality test in its selection battery for managerial jobs. This practice unintentionally results in the hiring of women rather than men. The type of case that can be brought against the store is:

Accepted Answer

A) disparate impact. 
B) disparate treatment. 
C) adverse treatment. 
D) quid pro quo.

Question 8

Altoneicia conducts a validation study and finds r=.55. She obtains a second sample and when she validates the measure this time, she finds r=.06. This notable drop between her first sample and her second sample suggests that:

Accepted Answer

A) her measure does not apply well to different samples and probably should not be used. 
B) her measure discriminates against a protected class and probably should not be used. 
C) her measure demonstrates very little shrinkage and is ready to use to select employees. 
D) her measure demonstrates validity generalization and is ready to use to select employees.

Question 9

Compare and contrast the multiple cutoff approach to selection with the multiple -regression approach. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the multiple cutoff approach...

Question 10

If Gary believes that a valid test for police officers in Philadelphia would NOT be valid for police officers in Pittsburgh, he believes in:

Accepted Answer

A) validity shrinkage. 
B) validity generalization. 
C) validity overlap. 
D) situational specificity.

Question 11

In order to hire a disabled individual for a job, a small company would have to renovate its building to put in elevators and ramps. The company might argue that these renovations are not possible because of their high expense. If this were the case, we would say that the required renovations are an example of:

Accepted Answer

A) an essential function. 
B) a reasonable accommodation. 
C) undue hardship. 
D) prima facie.

Question 12

A multiple regression helps organizations select an employee by providing:

Accepted Answer

A) a predicted performance score for each applicant. 
B) a ratio of variance explained to variance unexplained in performance. 
C) data on which assessment should be administered first. 
D) data on which applicants may be experiencing test anxiety.

Question 13

The ADEA protects only employees who are:

Accepted Answer

A) age 60 or older. 
B) age 40 or older. 
C) disabled. 
D) from another country.

Question 14

Dr. Zemple wants to see if a manual dexterity test predicts performance. He administers his test to his employees and correlates their scores to their most recent performance review scores. Dr. Zemple is examining:

Accepted Answer

A) cross-sectional validity. 
B) concurrent validity. 
C) predictive validity. 
D) immediate validity.

Question 15

One benefit of increased use of social media to recruit applicants is that:

Accepted Answer

A) fewer people over the age of 40 will apply to a position. 
B) it provides a much broader applicant pool. 
C) it makes it less likely that a hiring decision will be challenged in court. 
D) it provides a larger selection ratio.

Question 16

What are two major ways in which concurrent validation differs from predictive validation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are two major ways in which...

Question 17

To examine whether validities are situationally specific or generalizable across situations, Hunter and Schmidt (1990) recommended using _____ to weight and combine validity coefficients.

Accepted Answer

A) multiple cutoffs 
B) meta-analysis 
C) multiple regression 
D) utility

Question 18

Which statement is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Adverse impact is always illegal. 
B) Hiring members of minorities at a selection rate below 80% of the selection rate of members of the majority indicates adverse impact. 
C) Affirmative action requires that a company hire unqualified applicants if they are of an underrepresented race. 
D) As a first step in a discrimination case, the organization must prove that discrimination was justified by a business need.

Question 19

Which type of validity describes the extent to which test scores obtained at one time account for variance in criteria obtained at the same time?

Accepted Answer

A) concurrent validity 
B) cross-sectional validity 
C) predictive validity 
D) content validity

Question 20

Which of these would be necessary when estimating the improvement that would likely result from implementing a newly developed selection battery?

Accepted Answer

A) job specifications 
B) selection ratio 
C) adverse impact ratio 
D) person-environment fit

Exam 7: Selection Decisions and Personnel Law