Psychological tests in business.

Kornhauser, Arthur W.; Kingsbury, Forrest A.

doi:10.1037/13460-000

Cited by 4 publications

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“…Reacting to a quest for "order," a term used by Wiebe (1967), mental tests and criterion measures promised classification and thus provided some sense of order for both employers and employees. The early state of the art in personnel psychology was described by Link (1919Link ( ,1920, Kornhauser (1922), Kornhauser and Kingsbury (1923), Freyd (1923Freyd ( -1924, and Kelley (1919). Those writers agreed in principle on job analysis (Strong & Uhrbrock, 1923), the use of tests as well as other predictors (Hull, 1928), and validation against criteria of work success .…”

Section: -1939mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spearman's methods (antecedents of factor analysis), although growing in popularity, were applied mainly to ability measures. Writings by Kornhauser and Kingsbury (1923), Bingham and Freyd (1926;, Burtt (1926), and Viteles(1925-1926b, 1932 and a symposium on criteria (Hoppock, 1936) were chosen for the former task. Those discussions revealed substantial convergence and broad coverage of the criterion space.…”

Section: Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Those discussions revealed substantial convergence and broad coverage of the criterion space. Kornhauser and Kingsbury (1923) discussed output, ratings, and length of service classes of measures. They preferred output measures, but recognized that such measures were not always available when evaluating tests, and maintained that length of service should always be a subsidiary criterion measure.…”

Section: Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The criterion problem: 1917–1992.

Austin¹,

Villanova²

1992

Journal of Applied Psychology

339

231

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Individuals differ on multiple aspects of their job-role behavior; criteria are measures that attempt to capture these differences. Measures of criteria are used by several constituencies within applied psychology. Among them, researchers used criteria for the evaluation of theories of work behavior, the effective administration of human resources and the provision of feedback to individuals. One index of the importance of criteria is the observation that most, if not all, of the pioneers of industrial-organizational psychology addressed this issue during their careers. This article reviews conceptual and methodological developments pertaining to the criterion problem since 1917, using as an organizing device dimensions, methods of measurement and analysis, and categorizing frameworks. A shift away from an emphasis on brute prediction toward a balanced treatment of both empirical and conceptual issues is highlighted by calls for the validation of criteria and by increased attention to modeling performance, as well as a recognition of multiple perspectives and competing values from which to view performance and criterion measurement.People in organizations behave according to their role perceptions and the roles assigned to them by others. The resulting behaviors and associated outputs, which are often limited by situations (Viteles, 1925(Viteles, -1926b and may vary widely across individuals (Tiffin, 1942;Viteles, 1932), form a large part of the subject matter of industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology. Individual variability on criterion measures interests researchers and managers, who attempt to measure and influence it. Because criteria are essential for evaluation of individuals, programs, and organizational interventions (Schmitt & Klimoski, 1991), the practical significance of criterion measurement has been recognized since the beginning of industrial psychology (Munsterberg, 1913;Scott, 1917). However, the systematic study of criteria per se to expand scientific knowledge This article is dedicated to Robert L. Thorndike, 1910Thorndike, -1990, who made monumental contributions to the study of criteria during his long career at Teachers College, Columbia University. Both authors contributed equally to the preparation of this article.We thank the following individuals, who critically and constructively commented on earlier versions of this article:

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Section: -1939mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The criterion problem: 1917–1992.

Austin¹,

Villanova²

1992

Journal of Applied Psychology

339

231

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“…By the early 1920s, industrial psychologists had developed a methodology for empirically determining the validity of their testing procedures that would be recognizable to present-day I/O psychologists. As described in contemporary texts and articles such as Freyd (1926), Freyd (1923 -24), and Kornhauser and Kingsbury (1924), the method consisted of the following general steps. (i) Conduct a job analysis to obtain factors relevant for success on the job.…”

Section: Employee Selection and The Emphasis On Quantificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One possible reason was the failure of tests to deliver what they promised (Hale 1992;Sokal 1984). Although much overselling was done by nonpsychologists, reputable industrial psychologists such as Kornhauser and Kingsbury (1924) urged caution in their use. The stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent economic depression further reduced industry's demand for the industrial psychologist's services (Hale 1992).…”

Section: World War I and Beyondmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Industrial Psychology: A Very Brief and Highly Selective History

Vinchur

2008

Sociology Compass

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This essay provides a brief overview of the historical contributions of early industrial psychology to organizational studies. A description of present-day industrialorganizational psychology is first presented. Factors both inside and outside psychology that influenced the development of industrial psychology are discussed, followed by the history of industrial psychology in the early years of the twentieth century. In the USA, initial activity in industry by psychologists was in advertising; however, employee selection then became the major focus. Reflecting their training in experimental psychology, early industrial psychologists favored a quantitative, scientific approach to selection that emphasized empirical verification of the effectiveness of their interventions. Part of finding a niche for their scientific approach to organizations was debunking pseudoscientific approaches to selection such as character analysis.

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A historical survey of research and practice in industrial and organizational psychology.

Vinchur¹,

Koppes²

2011

APA Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Vol 1: Building and Developing the Organization.

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The understanding of psychology is one of the most important roads to success for the modem business man. Industrial and commercial work are in thousandfold contact with mental life. Salesmanship and advertising, learning and training for technical labor , choosing the right position and selecting the right employe, greatest efficiency of work and avoidance of fatigue, treatment of customers and of partners, securing the most favorable conditions for work and adapting the work to one's liking, and ever so many other problems stand b efore the business world and cannot be answered bu t by psychology (Miinsterberg, 1918, p. v).The above quotation by Hugo Miinsterberg is typical of the ambition and confidence (some migh t say overconfidence) of at least some of the founders of industrial-organizational (110) psychology. Although the results of more than 100 years of applying psychology to organizations have caused us to be a bit more humble and circumspect in our pronouncements, it is true that the science and practice of I/0 psychology have made a fair am ount of progress in dealing with Miinsterberg's concerns. The field has had an in teresting and eventful history. As I/0 psychology has expanded and matured, we have seen an increased interest in this history. This is most welcome, as it is our belief that knowledge and appreciation of history is essential fo r deep understanding. Tracing the evolution of ideas in substantive areas of 1/0 psychology and examining the litany of insights, incremental progress, and missteps that resulted in the current state of the field can lead to a richer appreciation and understanding for researchers and practition ers alike.Previous historical overviews of I/0 psychology vary in emphasis, orientation, and detail. Examples include Ferguson (1962)(1963)(1964)(1965),1 who built his history around the Carnegie Institute of Technology's (CIT's) Division of Applied Psychology. Baritz (1960), although critical of industrial psychology's close ties with management, provided a great deal of information about early industrial psychology, as did Napoli (1981) in his history of the psychological profession. A chapter by Hilgard (1987) concentrated on the history of I/0 psychology in the United States; Warr (2007) provided an overview of the development of I/0 ou tside of the United States; and McCollom (1968) and Viteles (1932) gave summaries of the early years of the field both inside and outside of America. Katzell and Austin (1992) offered a contextual approach to American 1/0 psychology history, as did Koppes (2003). A recent book edited by Koppes (2007) took a topical approach to I/0 history. Many other excellent histories of 1/0 psychology have focused on specific conten t areas, individuals, or time We thank Bianca Falbo, Shelly Zedeck, and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments. All errors are our own. 1 Leonard W. Ferguson completed a series of pamphlets ~overi n g 14 chapters (one volume and part of another) of a planned 12-volume history of industrial psychology centere...

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Psychological tests in business.

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

The criterion problem: 1917–1992.

The criterion problem: 1917–1992.

Early Industrial Psychology: A Very Brief and Highly Selective History

A historical survey of research and practice in industrial and organizational psychology.

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