Modernizing Intelligence in the Workplace: Recent Developments in Theory and Measurement of Intelligence at Work

Reducing Black–White Racial Differences on Intelligence Tests Used in Hiring for Public Safety Jobs

“…Providing support for this notion are research findings that demonstrate the size of the racial difference varies depending on how intelligence is conceptualized (Fagan andHolland 2002, 2007) and which measure is used to capture the construct (Hough et al 2001;Naglieri 2005;Wasserman and Becker 2000). Such findings bolster a thesis in the existing literature that conceptualizations of the construct and characteristics of the measurement device contribute to the size of the Black-White mean score differences observed and that alternative approaches to assessing intelligence may demonstrate validity while producing lower adverse impact against protected groups such as Black individuals (e.g., Edwards and Arthur 2007;Goldstein et al 2009;Larson et al 2018;Malda et al 2010;Naglieri et al 2005;Sternberg 2006;van de Vijver 1997). Given the implications of Black-White racial differences on high-stakes tests involving intelligence, specifically in terms of access to jobs and education (e.g., Sackett et al 2001), additional research aimed at developing different modern approaches for measuring this construct with reduced Black-White racial differences is urgently needed.…”

“…At the core of this issue is the fact that I/O psychology and human resource fields have built their measurements of intelligence almost exclusively based on the psychometric approach (Goldstein et al 2009;Larson et al 2018;Scherbaum et al 2012). Though this approach has its value, proponents of this perspective have argued that intelligence can be measured across a wide range of methodologies and measures and that the content of the test matters less than its ability to load onto a single factor of intelligence (Gottfredson 2002;Ree et al 2015;Spearman 1927).…”

“…To address this quandary, the current paper examines whether a modern intelligence test could be constructed for use in entry-level selection for police and other public safety positions that validly predicts performance while reducing racial differences so that a talented diverse workforce can be hired. These modern tests of intelligence focus on measuring the intelligence construct while promoting diversity by using newly emerging techniques from many areas of psychology, such as reducing the extent to which the test taker can rely on previous knowledge, thus creating a more equal playing field for those from different experiential and educational backgrounds (Larson et al 2018;Scherbaum et al 2015). The current study discusses the design of these modern intelligence tests and presents multiple studies conducted across a range of public safety jobs that demonstrate the viability of this approach for hiring a diverse talented workforce.…”

A longitudinal meta-analysis of range restriction estimates and general mental ability validity coefficients: Better addressing overcorrection amid decline effects.

“…If the higher estimates are accurate instead of inflated, there should be little benefit of adding established performance predictors, such as interest congruence or person-organizational fit (Nye et al, 2017; van Vianen, 2018) or network and mentoring opportunities (Wai & Rindermann, 2017). Similarly, alternative forms or methodologies should show negligible effect as well as improvements in how each of these is constructed or administered, such as scale development or using machine learning in combination with item-level analysis (e.g., focusing on working memory; Larson et al, 2018; Mõttus & Rozgonjuk, 2021; Revelle et al, 2021), as each of these would be competing for the increasingly trivial remaining variance. Finally, all the previous examples simply tap into general human capital, meaning we still need to leave variance for firm-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities (Molloy & Barney, 2015) or consider them amazingly as irrelevant.…”