EPPP Sample Questions - I/O
Psychology Exam-Graded A
A __________________ is performed during the development or delivery of an
intervention to determine if it needs to be modified in order to meet its goals.
A. summative evaluation
B. formative evaluation
C. utility analysis
D. needs analysis - ANS-B.
A distinction is made between formative and summative evaluation in the literature on
evaluation. Formative evaluations are conducted during the delivery of the intervention
to identify ways to improve it. Summative evaluations (a.) are conducted at the end of
the intervention to evaluate its effectiveness and participants' reactions to it. A needs
analysis (d.) is the first step in developing a training program. It is conducted prior to
developing an intervention to determine what the intervention should include. Whereas
the utility analysis (c.) summarizes and identifies key variables that describe the
consequences of HR programs
In terms of interviews as selection techniques, which of the following is most consistent
with the research?
A. Panel interviews generally have the highest levels of validity, and they are especially
valid
when an average (versus consensus) rating is derived.
B. When interviewers are given biodata information about an interviewee prior to the
interview, interviewers give less credence to interview information when the biodata is
not supportive of a decision to hire than when the biodata is very supportive of a
decision to hire.
C. Although the research is inconsistent, the best conclusion about interviews is that
future-
oriented (situational) interviews are more valid than past-oriented (behavior description)
interviews regardless of whether the interview is structured or unstructured.
D. One of the difficulties with interviews, even when they are structured, is that they are
highly
susceptible to gender bias - ANS-B.
There is some evidence that interviewers place less importance on interview information
when biodata is not very favorable and more importance when it is supportive of a hiring
decision. Apparently, a good interview cannot make up for a bad history, but a good
history can be supported or canceled out by the results of the interview
A "mixed standard scale" helps reduce rater biases by:
, A. using a forced-choice format that matches items with a comparable level of social
desirability.
B. using a specific description of work-related behavior to anchor each point on the
rating scale.
C. comparing two or more employees on each job behavior.
D. obscuring order-of-merit when describing work-related behaviors. - ANS-D.
A mixed standard scale tries to overcome halo, leniency, and similar rater biases by
arranging, in a non-hierarchal manner, items that describe performance as either good,
average, or poor and then the rater rates whether the individual performs better, equal
to, or worse (+, 0, -) than the behavior described in the item. Items are arranged in a
way, which supposedly helps reduce rater biases
Margaret is reluctant to give poor ratings to her subordinates for fear of "ruffling
feathers." Consequently, she tends to be unusually easy in her ratings. Margaret is
committing what type of error?
A. central tendency
B. halo
C. leniency
D. severity - ANS-A.
Rater biases include the strictness, leniency, central tendency, and halo biases. The
central tendency bias is the tendency to use the middle of a scale in rating all ratees.
The halo effect (b.) occurs when evaluations of one aspect of a person's behavior
influence evaluations of other aspects. The halo effect can be positive or negative; i.e.,
it can result in a bias in favor of or against a person. You may have considered the
leniency bias (c.) as the correct response. This type of rater bias involves giving ratees
high ratings on each dimension of performance regardless of their actual performance.
However, the question does not indicate that all the ratings are high, only that Margaret
is reluctant to give low scores for poor performance. Severity error (d.), or strictness
bias, refers to the tendency to use the low end of a rating scale to rate all ratees
Justification for the use of a selection procedure or battery in a new setting without
conducting a local validation research study is referred to as:
A. synthetic validity.
B. validity generalization.
C. transportability.
D. meta-analysis. - ANS-B.
Validity generalization, or generalized evidence of validity, is evidence of validity that
generalizes to setting(s) other than the setting(s) in which the original validation
evidence was documented and is accumulated through strategies such as synthetic
validity/job component validity (a.), transportability (c.) and meta-analysis (d.). Synthetic
validity/job component validity is based on previous demonstration of the validity of
inferences from scores on the selection procedure or battery with respect to one or
more domains of work (job components). Transportability refers to a strategy for
generalizing evidence of validity in which demonstration of important similarities
between different work settings is used to infer that validation evidence for a selection
procedure accumulated in one work setting generalizes to another work setting
,The Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) is a person-environment fit theory of career
development that indicates employment tenure is tied to:
A. organizational culture
B. organizational justice
C. satisfaction and satisfactoriness
D. satisfaction and ability - ANS-C.
Dawis and Lofquist's (1964) Theory of Work Adjustment defines satisfaction as an
individual's satisfaction with a job based on how well it meets the individual employee's
needs. Satisfactoriness refers to the degree to which the employee's skills meet the
requirements of the job and to which the employee successfully performs the job.
According to TWA, both are influences of employment tenure.
With respect to productivity, cohesive groups are associated with:
A. low levels of productivity for the group
B. high levels of productivity for the group
C. higher levels of productivity for the group only when management is supportive
D. higher levels of productivity for the group only when management is hostile or
indifferent - ANS-C.
High group cohesiveness has positive and negative consequences. In terms of
productivity, the relationship between group cohesiveness and group productivity is
affected by several moderator variables. One of which is management supportiveness.
High management support is associated with high levels of productivity for cohesive
groups, while management hostility is associated with low productivity for cohesive
groups.
All of following are rater biases EXCEPT:
A. contrast effect
B. severity error
C. central tendency bias
D. floor effect - ANS-D.
Subjective rating scale accuracy is influenced by the suspectibility to rater biases. A
contrast effect (a.) occurs when a rater's ratings of a ratee are impacted by the ratings
given to another. Severity error (b.), or strictness bias, refers to the tendency to use the
low end of a rating scale to rate all ratees, whereas the central tendency bias (c.) is the
tendency to use the middle of a scale in rating. A floor effect is not a rater bias. It refers
to a measuring instrument's inability to distinguish between individuals who have low
scores on whatever is being measured
Two applicants score 42 and 45 on an assessment test and the standard error of the
difference is 3.5 points. The scores are treated as equivalent allowing the applicant with
the score of 42 to be selected on the basis of some other job-related characteristic. This
approach is an example of __________________ in selection decision making.
A. top-down
B. cut-off
C. banding
, D. multiple hurdles-required to score above on specific level on several measures -
ANS-C.
Based on the principle that a higher score must correlate with better performance on the
job, top-down ranking (a.) occurs when an employer selects candidates in the strict
highest/lowest order of their test scores. Decisions based on rank ordering when there
is no correlation between a higher score and better performance on the job results in
adverse impact. Proposed alternatives to reduce adverse impact are using a cut-off
score (b.), reflecting the minimal qualifications for the job rather than an unreasonably
stringent requirement, and banding. Banding (c.) is based on the assumption that
different scores should be viewed as equivalent unless they are statistically significantly
different (determined by the standard error of the difference (SED) between scores) and
refers to a range of scores being considered as equivalent for selection purposes.
Adverse impact is reduced due to lower-scoring applicants being
The term organizational commitment refers to the degree of an employee's involvement
and identification with the organization. An employee's level of organizational
commitment is most predictive of:
A. job satisfaction.
B. work-family life satisfaction.
C. job turnover.
D. quality and quantity of work. - ANS-C.
Organizational commitment is related to an employee's willingness to exert extra effort
on behalf of the organization and, like job satisfaction, appears to have the highest
correlation with job turnover.
In structured interviews, interviewees responses are appraised by:
A. interviewer subjectivity.
B. utility analysis.
C. subject matter experts' consensus.
D. pre-specified criteria. - ANS-D.
In a structured interview, a series of job-related questions with predetermined "correct"
answers are used consistently with all interviewees for a particular job. An advantage of
this technique is the provision of individual item scores and a total score that are derived
from prespecified criteria. To predict job performance, the interview score can then be
combined with scores on other selection procedures in a multiple regression equation or
similar technique. Another advantage of the structured interview is that it reduces the
impact of interviewer subjectivity (a.). A utility analysis (b.) considers the procedure's
validity coefficient, employee job performance variability (typically in dollar value of
output or mean output), and the selection ratio to evaluate the practical value of a
selection procedure. Subject matter experts (c.) are one of several methods for
determining scores to responses to a structu
Super's conceptual model of the life rainbow depicts:
A. life stages.
B. life roles.
C. self-concept growth.
Psychology Exam-Graded A
A __________________ is performed during the development or delivery of an
intervention to determine if it needs to be modified in order to meet its goals.
A. summative evaluation
B. formative evaluation
C. utility analysis
D. needs analysis - ANS-B.
A distinction is made between formative and summative evaluation in the literature on
evaluation. Formative evaluations are conducted during the delivery of the intervention
to identify ways to improve it. Summative evaluations (a.) are conducted at the end of
the intervention to evaluate its effectiveness and participants' reactions to it. A needs
analysis (d.) is the first step in developing a training program. It is conducted prior to
developing an intervention to determine what the intervention should include. Whereas
the utility analysis (c.) summarizes and identifies key variables that describe the
consequences of HR programs
In terms of interviews as selection techniques, which of the following is most consistent
with the research?
A. Panel interviews generally have the highest levels of validity, and they are especially
valid
when an average (versus consensus) rating is derived.
B. When interviewers are given biodata information about an interviewee prior to the
interview, interviewers give less credence to interview information when the biodata is
not supportive of a decision to hire than when the biodata is very supportive of a
decision to hire.
C. Although the research is inconsistent, the best conclusion about interviews is that
future-
oriented (situational) interviews are more valid than past-oriented (behavior description)
interviews regardless of whether the interview is structured or unstructured.
D. One of the difficulties with interviews, even when they are structured, is that they are
highly
susceptible to gender bias - ANS-B.
There is some evidence that interviewers place less importance on interview information
when biodata is not very favorable and more importance when it is supportive of a hiring
decision. Apparently, a good interview cannot make up for a bad history, but a good
history can be supported or canceled out by the results of the interview
A "mixed standard scale" helps reduce rater biases by:
, A. using a forced-choice format that matches items with a comparable level of social
desirability.
B. using a specific description of work-related behavior to anchor each point on the
rating scale.
C. comparing two or more employees on each job behavior.
D. obscuring order-of-merit when describing work-related behaviors. - ANS-D.
A mixed standard scale tries to overcome halo, leniency, and similar rater biases by
arranging, in a non-hierarchal manner, items that describe performance as either good,
average, or poor and then the rater rates whether the individual performs better, equal
to, or worse (+, 0, -) than the behavior described in the item. Items are arranged in a
way, which supposedly helps reduce rater biases
Margaret is reluctant to give poor ratings to her subordinates for fear of "ruffling
feathers." Consequently, she tends to be unusually easy in her ratings. Margaret is
committing what type of error?
A. central tendency
B. halo
C. leniency
D. severity - ANS-A.
Rater biases include the strictness, leniency, central tendency, and halo biases. The
central tendency bias is the tendency to use the middle of a scale in rating all ratees.
The halo effect (b.) occurs when evaluations of one aspect of a person's behavior
influence evaluations of other aspects. The halo effect can be positive or negative; i.e.,
it can result in a bias in favor of or against a person. You may have considered the
leniency bias (c.) as the correct response. This type of rater bias involves giving ratees
high ratings on each dimension of performance regardless of their actual performance.
However, the question does not indicate that all the ratings are high, only that Margaret
is reluctant to give low scores for poor performance. Severity error (d.), or strictness
bias, refers to the tendency to use the low end of a rating scale to rate all ratees
Justification for the use of a selection procedure or battery in a new setting without
conducting a local validation research study is referred to as:
A. synthetic validity.
B. validity generalization.
C. transportability.
D. meta-analysis. - ANS-B.
Validity generalization, or generalized evidence of validity, is evidence of validity that
generalizes to setting(s) other than the setting(s) in which the original validation
evidence was documented and is accumulated through strategies such as synthetic
validity/job component validity (a.), transportability (c.) and meta-analysis (d.). Synthetic
validity/job component validity is based on previous demonstration of the validity of
inferences from scores on the selection procedure or battery with respect to one or
more domains of work (job components). Transportability refers to a strategy for
generalizing evidence of validity in which demonstration of important similarities
between different work settings is used to infer that validation evidence for a selection
procedure accumulated in one work setting generalizes to another work setting
,The Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) is a person-environment fit theory of career
development that indicates employment tenure is tied to:
A. organizational culture
B. organizational justice
C. satisfaction and satisfactoriness
D. satisfaction and ability - ANS-C.
Dawis and Lofquist's (1964) Theory of Work Adjustment defines satisfaction as an
individual's satisfaction with a job based on how well it meets the individual employee's
needs. Satisfactoriness refers to the degree to which the employee's skills meet the
requirements of the job and to which the employee successfully performs the job.
According to TWA, both are influences of employment tenure.
With respect to productivity, cohesive groups are associated with:
A. low levels of productivity for the group
B. high levels of productivity for the group
C. higher levels of productivity for the group only when management is supportive
D. higher levels of productivity for the group only when management is hostile or
indifferent - ANS-C.
High group cohesiveness has positive and negative consequences. In terms of
productivity, the relationship between group cohesiveness and group productivity is
affected by several moderator variables. One of which is management supportiveness.
High management support is associated with high levels of productivity for cohesive
groups, while management hostility is associated with low productivity for cohesive
groups.
All of following are rater biases EXCEPT:
A. contrast effect
B. severity error
C. central tendency bias
D. floor effect - ANS-D.
Subjective rating scale accuracy is influenced by the suspectibility to rater biases. A
contrast effect (a.) occurs when a rater's ratings of a ratee are impacted by the ratings
given to another. Severity error (b.), or strictness bias, refers to the tendency to use the
low end of a rating scale to rate all ratees, whereas the central tendency bias (c.) is the
tendency to use the middle of a scale in rating. A floor effect is not a rater bias. It refers
to a measuring instrument's inability to distinguish between individuals who have low
scores on whatever is being measured
Two applicants score 42 and 45 on an assessment test and the standard error of the
difference is 3.5 points. The scores are treated as equivalent allowing the applicant with
the score of 42 to be selected on the basis of some other job-related characteristic. This
approach is an example of __________________ in selection decision making.
A. top-down
B. cut-off
C. banding
, D. multiple hurdles-required to score above on specific level on several measures -
ANS-C.
Based on the principle that a higher score must correlate with better performance on the
job, top-down ranking (a.) occurs when an employer selects candidates in the strict
highest/lowest order of their test scores. Decisions based on rank ordering when there
is no correlation between a higher score and better performance on the job results in
adverse impact. Proposed alternatives to reduce adverse impact are using a cut-off
score (b.), reflecting the minimal qualifications for the job rather than an unreasonably
stringent requirement, and banding. Banding (c.) is based on the assumption that
different scores should be viewed as equivalent unless they are statistically significantly
different (determined by the standard error of the difference (SED) between scores) and
refers to a range of scores being considered as equivalent for selection purposes.
Adverse impact is reduced due to lower-scoring applicants being
The term organizational commitment refers to the degree of an employee's involvement
and identification with the organization. An employee's level of organizational
commitment is most predictive of:
A. job satisfaction.
B. work-family life satisfaction.
C. job turnover.
D. quality and quantity of work. - ANS-C.
Organizational commitment is related to an employee's willingness to exert extra effort
on behalf of the organization and, like job satisfaction, appears to have the highest
correlation with job turnover.
In structured interviews, interviewees responses are appraised by:
A. interviewer subjectivity.
B. utility analysis.
C. subject matter experts' consensus.
D. pre-specified criteria. - ANS-D.
In a structured interview, a series of job-related questions with predetermined "correct"
answers are used consistently with all interviewees for a particular job. An advantage of
this technique is the provision of individual item scores and a total score that are derived
from prespecified criteria. To predict job performance, the interview score can then be
combined with scores on other selection procedures in a multiple regression equation or
similar technique. Another advantage of the structured interview is that it reduces the
impact of interviewer subjectivity (a.). A utility analysis (b.) considers the procedure's
validity coefficient, employee job performance variability (typically in dollar value of
output or mean output), and the selection ratio to evaluate the practical value of a
selection procedure. Subject matter experts (c.) are one of several methods for
determining scores to responses to a structu
Super's conceptual model of the life rainbow depicts:
A. life stages.
B. life roles.
C. self-concept growth.
