Psychological Testing in the Workplace
Jennifer Lindquist
PSY 435
December 9, 2013
Francis Uzonwanne

Psychological Testing in the Workplace
Psychological testing is being used in the workplace to improve the workforce. Validity and reliability issues surround psychological testing. There are some ethical issues that surround psychological testing. With high competitive business environment most employers are starting to do employment testing to improve their workforces. Public and private sector companies frequently conduct psychological test for full-time employment.
Different types of psychological testing
One type of psychological testing is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality testing system that private companies and federal government agencies use. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator arranges personality data by a four scales of opposing characteristics (Basu, 2013). The first scale decides if an employee’s drive ascends form the environment or the individual’s own ideas and emotions. The second scale decides if an employee pays attention to sensory information or to his or her own intuition (Basu, 2013). The third scale calculates if decisions are made based on reasoning and logic or personal values. The fourth scale decides if the employee is spontaneous or organized towards his or her daily activities. Companies use Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test to try to correspond employees to the job that fits his or her personality, enhance organizational communications and design training programs. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test helps with pre-employment by figuring out if the applicant has the characteristics for the job that is available. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test tells if an employee is fit for their position or if there is room for improvement. Another psychological test is an intelligence test. An intelligence test measures an employee’s intelligence. An employee’s intelligence is measured by his or her ability to understand the world he or she lives in, adapt its functioning, and employ knowledge for improving the quality of his or her life. According to Lloyd (2013) Alfred Whitehead stated: “intelligence, enables the individual to profit by error without being slaughter by it”. This means that intelligence is a measure of potential not of what is learned like an achievement test. There for intelligence is not linked to culture. Intelligence is measured by the individuals deviation from standardized norms, 100 would be average. With an intelligence test and employer could measure the intelligence of an individual applying for the job to see if the applicant is intelligent enough for the position and could adapt to the work environment. An employer could give an employee an intelligence test to see if there is room for improvement by the employee or to see if the employee would be better fitted in another higher or lower position depending on the results of the test. Kolbe is a psychological test that is based on the assertion that an employee’s problem-solving skills are steady and independent of intelligence, personality and education (Basu, 2013). There are four problem-solving modes like fact finder that gathers information, quick start which refers to being risky, and follow-through which refers to scheduling and organization activities, and solution implementation process. Kolbe test is measured by employees answering multiple choice questions that are centered on problem solving. The Kolbe test will let an employer know if an employee can initiate action, responds to needs, or prevent problems. Employers can look at the result to match employees and applicants to the right positions and improve their organizational performance.
Validity and Reliability Issues Surrounding Psychological Testing The main problem associated with psychological test is the ability to measure the results. The accuracy of a test is called validity. There is a lot of information to take into account before giving a test and handing out the results. First the company needs to figure out what test to give. If a bank was to test several applicants on other material like social skills and manual dexterity than they would not be able to give a arithmetic test due to all the other skill involved. There are different forms so validity. Construct Validity is the ability to measure the psychological construct like depression. This can be done by convergent or divergent validity, because these two tests refer to whether a test can give similar results to a different test that has the same construct. Content Validity is the ability to sample adequately the wide range of element that composes a specific concept. Criterion related validity is the ability of a test to predict someone performance.
Reliability is the ability to give consistent results on a test. Say an individual was to take a math test. The result they received today would be the same as yesterday or tomorrow. If an individual was to take a personality test today with ambiguous questions the results would be different today than from the next month. Internal consistency Reliability tells how the test times relate to one another. Test-retest Reliability tells the results from one administration to another for the same test. Reliability and validity go hand and hand. You cannot have one without the other.
Ethical Issues Surrounding Psychological Testing Testing should always be done to generate the need for information in an objective, reliable, and valid manner when being used as a scientific manner. Test that are being used in a different manner than previously stated could be considered poor practice and or unethical. Ethical standers for professional are guidelines to go by for what is right, obligation or benefits to society for the greater good. But ethics have loose boundaries due to morality, religion and law. According to the generally accepted principles of the scientific method, this means that testing should be used in order to generate the needed information in an objective, reliable and valid manner. Any usage of a test that does not adhere to this principle could not be labeled as “good practice”. Ethical is a characteristic of behavior not to be confused with the product of behavior.
Conclusion
Psychological testing is being used in the workplace to improve the workforce. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator arranges personality data by a four scales of opposing characteristics (Basu, 2013). An employee’s intelligence is measured by his or her ability to understand the world he or she lives in, adapt its functioning, and employ knowledge for improving the quality of his or her life. Kolbe is a psychological test that is based on the assertion that an employee’s problem-solving skills are steady and independent of intelligence, personality and education (Basu, 2013). The main problem associated with psychological test is the ability to measure the results. Reliability and validity go hand and hand. Testing should always be done to generate the need for information in an objective, reliable, and valid manner when being used as a scientific manner.

Reference
Basu, C. (2013). Three Different Types of Psychological Testing Used in the Workplace. Retrieved on December 8, 2013, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-different-types-psychological-testing-used-workplace-25537.html
Iliescu, D., Ispas, D., and Harris, M. (2009). Social Implications and Ethic of Testing. Retrieved on December 8, 2013, from http://www.intestcom.org/Publications/ORTA/Social%20implications%20and%20ethics%20of%20testing.php
Lloyd, R. (2013) Psychological Testing. Retrieved on December 8, 2013, http://www.guidetopsychology.com/testing.htm