Response to Discussion Academic Help

I’m working on a Psychology exercise and need support.

In each response, propose an alternative tool (or combination of tools) that might also be valuable and appropriate for this purpose. Compare and contrast the strengths and limitations of the two alternatives, specifically in relation to the purpose of assessing individual differences in the workplace. Would a different combination of tools provide greater predictive ability?

Discussion 1

When looking at assessment tools I chose to evaluate Campbell’s model of performance. Campbell’s model has three basic principles that his model is based on that dictate performance and that’s Declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge and skill and lastly motivation (Landy & Conte, 2016). Declarative knowledge is knowing what is required to complete the job, procedural knowledge is knowing how to do the job and motivation is essentially the circumstances that dictate how productive and the quality of the level of work produced. These are factors are basically what determine your job performance and can be changed by other external variables such as experience (obviously the more experience you have the more procedural and declarative knowledge you have). I think Campbells model is a good tool to assess differences in the workplace because it’s comprehensive and covers aspects such as individual performance, to how they work as a team, to how well they supervise and lead (

As far as concerns go the one shortcoming I see is that within the Campbell theory there are eight performance compnents that are considered determinants of performance. Some of those like job performance are easier to measure and you can put assessments in place to see how proficient an individual worker is. Other determinants are vague and seem like they would be difficult to assess such as demonstrating effort. It’s hard for me to see how someone could give a concrete metric on how much effort a person is putting into a task.

Job analysis and Campbell’s model essentially go hand in hand. Job analysis identifies the different KSAO’s to help an individual do their job. In Campbell’s model, those KSAO’s are variables that correlate to Campbell’s determinants of performance. In short, the variables of the KSAO’s dictate how well you perform in Campbell’s determinant of performance.

Typically when using data collection you are focusing on an individual’s cognitive behavior because it isn’t directly observable when you are focusing on assessment tools for job analysis you are looking for observable behaviors to assess (Landy & Conte, 2016)

Discussion 2

Individual Assessment Tools

I/O Psychology’s concern is to understand and to attempt to predict work place behavior by individually describing the employees and/or groups of employees within the organization to project the best possible solution for growth for both the employees and the employer.

This discussion will focus on the individual assessment recognizing that individual assessment tools may consists of several testing options such as ability test, personality tests, personal history statements, interviews, work simulation exercises, the rarely used Rorschach Inkblot Test, and the Thematic Apperception Test.

In addition to the assessment tools mentioned here it was formulated that the individual assessment testing tool has a higher validity for managerial employees as opposed to nonmanagerial employees (Landy & Conte, 2016) which opens the opportunity for more research to be done in this area.

Thematic Apperception Test

The assessment tool of choice will be the Thematic Apperception Test or TAT in that it will provide insight into the creativity of the individual employee (Manjhi & Purty, 2017) and his/her ability to think outside of the box to create something out of nothing and to improve upon the base information provided to the individual employee or candidate.

The reasoning behind testing their creativity is due to the employers interest in the individuals potential to follow through with ideas to deliver ideal situations or to accept only what has been provided and wait for more to be given. Durability, extendibility, forward thinking, cognitive ability, inquisitive, growth, development, energetic, excitability, thinking, leading, suggesting, proactive, desire to create a solution or complaining of not having enough tools/information to carry through with the project, reactive, indolent, and critical attitude.

To determine the parameters of the job of which TAT will be used will require determinant factors of what the job will entail consist of thus providing a thorough job analysis of the necessary needs for the job and the assessment will determine the necessary skills required to do the job. This gives credence and responsibility to the employer to provide the tools in order for the employee to do the job with expectations that the employee will exceed expectations.