Psychological Assessment Seminar

1. Psychological Assessment Seminar Rubik’s cubes of colour, shape and size: Ethical psychological testing in a multicultural work environment Department of Industrial & Organisational Psychology 18 August 2010

2. agenda Morning session: 08h30 - 13h00 • Welcome by Prof Dirk Geldenhuys • Introduction: Welcome to the Rubik’s Cube Adventure • A short history of psychological assessment • The areas of psychological assessment • Psychological assessment myth busters Tea break: 11h00 • Legislation and ethics • Ethical freeze role play Lunch: 13h00 - 13h45 • Current topics in psychological assessment • Psychological assessment Crosswords • The future of psychological assessment Conclusion: 15h00

3. A short history of Psychological Assessment

4. Why look at the past? • History influences current practice • Relevance • Evolved and progressed • History is important • Helps explain current practice • Strengths and weaknesses • Prevent repetitions of the ‘wrongs of the past’

6. History of testing: An International Perspective • Over the years many authors, philosophers and scientist have explored various avenues in an attempt to assess human attributes. To mention a few; • Astrology (positions of planets to describe the personality of individuals and predict what may happen in their lives) • Physiognomy (judging the character of a person from external features of the body, especially the face.) • Graphology (the systematic study of handwriting and the notion that it can be used as an expression of personality characteristics) • Humorology • Phrenology (Foxcroft, 2009)

7. Testing in South Africa: The Early Years • Psychology emerged as an academic discipline in South Africa after World War 1. • Many of the influential figures in the development of intellectual tests in South Africa where trained at American institutes. • Therefore tests which where typically used in the early phases where also American such as; Goddards 1911 revision of the Binet-Simons test, Termans 1916 Stanford revision, the Army Beta, the Porteus Maze Test etc. • In the period between the two world wars, social and human sciences in South Africa became important contributors to debates on crucial social issues including ‘the Native question” (Louw, 1997; Foxcroft, 2009; Classen, 1997)

8. Testing in South Africa: The Early Years • Psychological knowledge was used as a tool legitimise a social order based on race as the perception was that psychological testing produced empirical data which supported certain explanations of this order. • There was an increase in the use of science as a factor in regulating aspects of social economic life. • Differential performance of black and white reinforced the idea of hierarchy of human societies and consequently differential treatment in terms of education, employment etc. (Louw, 1997)

9. Key notes

10. Psychometric Testing Psychometric testing is applied worldwide and used in various industries for recruitment, selection and counselling purposes (Gregory, 2000). For the purpose of this seminar four important areas for assessment have been identified. • Cognitive assessment • Personality assessment • Behavioral assessment • Interest

11. Range of tests and distributors available - Cognitive Range of tests and distributors available - Cognitive

12. Range of tests and distributors available - Cognitive Range of tests and distributors available - Cognitive

13. Cognitive Assessment • Some consensus • IOPs agree that cognitive ability test are valid and fair • Cognitive ability tests provide good but inadequate measures of intelligence • Other attributes are necessary to account for multi dimensional nature of performance (90% of respondents) • (Murphy, Cronin & Tam)

14. Cognitive Assessment • Some controversy • Societal concerns • Cultural bias • Education • Socio-economic status • Education levels of parents • Effects of negative stereotypes • The g-Ocentric vs MI • (Murphy, Cronin & Tam) • (McKay, Doverspike, Bowen-Hilton & McKay)

15. Cognitive Assessment • Unifying theoretical approach • 3 approaches • Structural approach (factor analytic) • Information-processing • Dynamic (based on learning theory) • “Learning as the critical factor underlying cognitive competence • and the mastery of problems and challenges” • (Taylor)

16. Structural - Spearman (g – one general factor) and Thurstone 7&9 Primary mental abilities • static • - fluid & crystallised (Cattell) • - mostly power tests • Info processing – e.g. Ravens progressive matrices • receiving, processing & retrieval speeds • computer admin essential • Learning / dynamic approach • Vygotsky – Zone of proximal development (ZPD) • less susceptible to cultural bias • 3 phases of learning – conceptual understanding, compilation of execution procedures & automatization of processing. • Test – teach – test or pre-test – mediation – post-test • Emphasis on potential and not achievement

17. Range of tests available: Personality

18. Range of tests available: Personality

19. Range of tests available: Behavioral

20. Range of tests available: Interest

21. Cost Pricing Analysis • Option 1: Purchasing a “report” • Advised for non-accredited users and for individual testing on once-off basis • Some test can be expensive (up to R3,000 per report) • Suppliers include SHL, Jopie van Rooyen, and Thomas International • Benefit: initial costs is low • Computer generated reports is time efficient • Downfall: ongoing high costs • Potential misuse of reports due to lack of control

22. Cost Pricing Analysis • Option 2: Purchasing Material: Software or Paper-and-Pencil version • Advised for accredited users and group or large-scale testing on ongoing basis • Initial purchasing of material and software can be expensive (need manuals, booklets, answer sheets, scoring stencils, etc – between R2,000 – R25,000) • Suppliers include Minimize, M&M Initiatives, PsyTech • Benefit: ongoing assessments at minimal fee • Downfall: initial start-up fees can be high Software need ongoing purchasing of credits for reporting Manual interpretation, scoring and reporting is time consuming

23. Key notes

24. Legal aspects of Psychological Assessment

25. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa: • Chapter 2: Bill of Rights “is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa - democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom”. • Section 9(3): “The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race gender, sex, and pregnancy, marital status, ethical or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth. • Section 9 (4): “No person may unfairly discriminate directly or undirectly against anyone on one or more grounds in terms of subsection (3).

26. Employment Equity Act, No.55 (1998) • Section 8: “Psychological testing and other similar assessments of an employee are prohibited unless the test or assessment being used – • Has been scientifically shown to be valid and reliable; • Can be applied fairly to all employees; • Is not biased against any employee or group.

27. EEA(continued) • Section 11: Burden of proof. • Section 15: Affirmative action. • Subsection 20(3): “capacity to acquire, within a reasonable time, the ability to do the job” • Code of Good Practice on the Integration of Employment Equity into Human Resources Policies and Practices: Section 10.

28. The Labour Relations Act, No. 66 (1995) • Chapter VIII: Unfair discrimination and unfair labour practices – same grounds as the Constitution. • Chapter VIII: Unfair discrimination and unfair labour practices – same grounds as the Constitution.

29. Legal Cases • Association of Test Publishers of South Africa Saville & Holdsworth (SA) and the Chairperson of the Professional Board for Psychology • Dispute: ATP: Any individual (unregistered) should be able to conduct psychometric assessments? HPCSA: Only registered professionals ! • Ruling (19 February 2010): In favour of ATP SA. “The court order declares the notice published on the 10th November 2008, which stated that “it is not permissible to use unregistered persons to render psychological services including the administration of tests, instruments or techniques”, to be void and of no force and effect. • Current status: This ruling will stand until further notice. WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!

30. Legal Cases (continued) • Buthelezi v Amalgamated Beverage Industries[1999] JOL 5086 (LC) • Hendricks v SA Airways[2002] JOL 10382 (LC) • NUM obo Moeng / Douglas Colliery[2007] 7 BALR 647 (CCMA)

31. What will the long arm of the law do to you? • Fines: Employment Equity Act • Costs: CCMA, Labour Court, Constitutional Court

32. Closing statement • Assessments play an important role in the measuring of performance, selection, recruitment, etc. in the workplace, schools and various other institutions. • Assessment Practitioners should today more than ever be aware of the responsibilities that the legal use of these powerful instruments require. • Our history has not been without bumps, hurdles and mountains, but it is our responsibility to promote a fair and unbiased future and set an example for the rest of the world. The current limitations and challenges that we face can only be achieved through co-operation, adhering to legislation and high ethical standards.

33. We rest our case…

34. The Regulation of Psychological Assessment

35. LEGISLATION • Employment Equity Act (1998) – different to all other countries, in that we are asked to proactively defend our position with regards to psychological assessment • PROFESSIONAL BODIES • (Responsibilities: Training, Accreditation, Test classification) • HPCSA -- might not be in a position to efficiently regulate access to and use of tests • Psychometric Committee of the board of Psychology – falls under HPCSA • International Test Commission (2001) • Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology of South Africa • People Assessment in Industry • Human Sciences Research Council

36. PROFESSIONAL BODIES (cont.) • South African Board for People Practices • Association of test publishers • Test Developers/Publishers • Any others? What about universities? • SELF-REGULATION • Strategy of self-regulation (Paterson & Uys, 2005) – practitioners empowered to make informed decisions through access to information and adequate training • Training = better decision making with regards to selection of (registered) tests • Continuing professional development • Personal moral compass

37. ADDITIONAL ISSUES TO CONSIDER • Conflicting policies (e.g. Employment Equity Act (1998) – assessments must not discriminate against groups, but can be used to assist with addressing previously disadvantaged groups) • Personal morals vs Ethical policies • Canadian Psychological Association – ethical principle ranking to assist decision making

38. Competency Based Assessment - One minute wonder Or Here to stay?

39. Competency Based Assessment Development • What is competency-based testing? • Competencies • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities • Job Analysis • Effective in Application • Movement from intelligence testing

40. Defining Competency Based Assessment • A way to monitor and assess the competences a person has, no matter where or how these competences were gained. • Three major principles differentiating competence-based assessment from other methods used to assess are: • Assessment of evidence • Current abilities • Standards or competence

41. Benefits of Competency Based Assessment • An assessment of past behaviour can assist you in predicting future behaviour • Multiple assessment techniques are used to verify the results obtained • The competencies measured are related to successful job execution • Objectivity of evaluation is ensured through the utilisation of trained assessors

42. Recognition of Prior Learning “Recognition of prior learning is a process whereby, through assessment, credit is given to learning which has already been acquired in different ways”. – SAQA • Discuss practical example of the RPL process (real life case study)

43. Benefits of RPL RPL is seen to have the capacity: • to contribute to redress equity by opening up more ways for people to attain qualified status; • enable more people to reach higher levels of qualification and expertise by beginning with an acknowledgement of existing skills and knowledge; • contribute to enhancing international economic competitiveness by building on often invisible and unacknowledged workforce skills; • and offer the first step in attaining the goal of developing a multiskilled and flexible workforce by acting as an auditing tool to quantify existing competence.

44. Competency Based Assessment Series (CAS) • Designed by JvR professionals and associates • Purpose is to provide their clients with a range of uniquely South African assessment centre exercises • the exercises are designed to evaluate performance against certain job relevant competencies and can contribute to an informed selection decision. • The exercises can be categorised into four groups, namely: • In-basket Exercises • Group Exercises • Strategy and/or Presentation Exercises • Role Play Exercises • All the exercises are job relevant and assess current as well as future potential.

45. Examples of Competency Based Assessment Competency Assessment Series (CAS) The aims of the CAS exercises include: • To identify behavioural competencies needed for a specific job. • To assist the assessor in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the candidates’ behavioural competencies. • Provide additional, job-relevant, “tangible” information to supplement that gathered with traditional psychometric tools. • To determine the participants’ strengths and development areas. • To use the information in combination with collateral information for selection and development purposes in the workplace.

46. Examples of Competency Based Assessment • Case studies • In-basket exercises • Job sample tests/Skills Tests • Direct Observation • Oral/Written Tests • Portfolios • Simulation

47. Designing a Competency Based Battery • Step 1: Planning • Purpose • Step 2: Establish Competencies • Job Analysis • Step 3: Develop assessment battery • Structure • Step 4: Implement and evaluate battery

48. Uses of Competency Based Assessment • Within in the organisation • In the South African context • Advantages • Disadvantages • Fairness • Unbiased, ethical

49. Key notes

50. Computerised Assessment