Introduction
A psychological assessment instrument at the industrial organization is a method of evaluation to effectively solve the issues of personnel selection, its control, development, training, motivation, and any other management tasks. The essay reveals the features and significance of one of the most significant and critical psychological tools, implying an applied value in scientific research and industrial practice. Besides, the paper lists the positive and negative moral aspects of this method, its functions, purposes, and its role in production.
An Evidence-based, Psychological Assessment Instrument Related to Industrial Organization
As practice shows, the most successful and proven way of such an assessment at the industrial organization is testing. It is a helpful and straightforward method of evaluating the professional competencies and psychological characteristics of a candidate or an employee. Among other factors, testing can be standard, template, and the answer to the question can be either correct or incorrect; they are applied only if there are specific standards in the specialty or company. However, in exceptional cases, employers might use unique and advanced methods to assess the candidate’s ability to think and make decisions. Professional tests are able to determine the skills and knowledge of a person, his abilities regarding a particular type of work or activity. Following this, psychological tests can create a complete picture of a person’s personality. They determine a person’s behavior, intelligence, and professional effectiveness in the organization, ability to work in a team, leadership tendencies, etc.
The Benefits and Challenges of the Psychological Assessment Instrument
It is no secret that any psychological techniques, methods, tools, and instruments have pros and cons. Many studies have shown that testing also has these components. For example, the psychological assessment instrument’s benefits include ease of use, a high-quality and objective evaluation method. Secondly, it is justice about the testing subjects because it puts them all in equal positions and conditions. Third, such “experience ” is a more voluminous and extensive method, including more certain knowledge in general and on individual aspects. Fourth, it is also a quick way to conduct an assessment; Any speaking, written, or creative task takes about 3 hours, while testing takes much less time.
In addition, this psychological assessment instrument also has its challenges, including the following points. In most cases, the test contains simple questions that do not require certain qualities of the person. The tool does not allow one to check and evaluate high, productive, abstract, and methodological levels of knowledge, as well as creative abilities of the testing subjects. Secondly, there is an element of randomness, which distorts, misrepresents the results. By answering a simple question, the person can respond to a more complex one. The reason for this may be either a random error in the first question or guessing the answer in the second (Coulacoglou & Saklofske, 2017). Thirdly, the test is intended for everyone, without the individual approach. There is a possibility of missing a unique, bright personality.
The Importance of Ethical and Culturally Informed Psychological Assessment Instrument
The development of a psychological test is a complex creative task requiring a significant contribution of time and effort. This instrument is a multidimensional and complicated system that includes many elements, such as moral components. The importance of ethical and culturally informed psychological assessment instruments lies in the following features. Conducting diagnostics implies responsibility for the subject, as well as maintaining his mental and physical health, emotional climate, and social well-being during the process. The test results are not disclosed without personal consent; they should, in no case, be used to the detriment of the person (except in cases of judicial or medical practice caused by law). Besides, it is necessary to ensure the scientific validity of the information’s methodology, reliability, and objectivity. Thus, testing should give results that can be trusted entirely. Besides, the primary responsibility for the proper application of psychological tests in practice lies with psychologists, individuals, and organizations that use them.
The Function and Purpose of the Psychological Assessment Instrument
A psychological test is a standardized method to measure the respondent’s individual properties, personal characteristics, and qualities. The psychological component of the test consists of the initial assessment of employees when hiring and the subsequent summing up of the effectiveness and efficiency of the staff. The applied tests are intended to obtain a psychological portrait of the candidate, to assess his abilities and knowledge. The experiments allow employers to compare candidates with each other or with standards, as well as to measure the qualities of persons necessary for successful performance of the work. Furthermore, this is necessary to increase the company’s competitiveness in the labor market, monitor employees’ professional growth and development, and create a personnel reserve for management positions.
The Role of Reliability and Validity in the Analysis of Assessment Results
The most essential characteristic of the test is its reliability, which determines the reproducibility of the results and their accuracy. In this way, reliability and validity in the analysis of the evaluation results are based on the following criteria. First of all, the quality of tasks determines the trustworthiness of the test as a whole. Moreover, the reliability of testing lies in the consistency of the results obtained during its primary and secondary application to the same people at different points in time. The study demonstrates the stability of the results over time, under certain conditions and circumstances. This helps to reflect the actual differences in the measured properties and prevent accidental errors. Thanks to the results obtained, the validity of the study also allows one to judge its quality, effectiveness, and credibility.
The Criteria for Using Standardized Scores in Assessments
General assessment requirements can ensure the optimization of test methods according to the criteria of their scientific accuracy and practical effectiveness. The quality criteria for using standardized scores in assessments are reliability, validity, objectivity, predictive value, as well as accessibility and convenience of practical use. The reliability of the test characterizes the reproducibility of its results. The validity characterizes the suitability of the test for measuring a certain value. The objectivity of the test implies a standard of conditions, strict regulation of the evaluation procedure, and ensuring the independence of the test results from possible attempts to deliberately distort them by the testing subject. Thus, the above aspects are the requirements that each test must meet.
The Application of a Psychological Assessment Instrument in the Workplace or Future Workplace
In the workplace the application of a psychological assessment instrument – testing, will help one make informative decisions about hiring people, as well as controlling the level of knowledge and skills of current employees. Moreover, psychological testing can help reduce the number of “problematic employees,” also determine the ability of a potential employee to work in various conditions. Such selection can help the company hire more suitable workers and save on high staff turnover.
Conclusion
Consequently, psychological assessment instruments are widely used tools in various fields and spheres. They also have a wide range of applications and uses. One of these instruments is testing, which has a number of functions and options. It can be implemented during job selection, in psychotherapy and psychological counseling. Its key features include simplicity and efficiency of use, as well as obtaining objective and reliable results.
Reference
Coulacoglou, C., & Saklofske, D. H. (2017). Psychometrics and psychological assessment: Principles and applications. Academic Press.