CRITERION SAMPLING APPROACH TO SELECTING PATROLMEN

• NCJ Number: 14926
• Journal: Police Chief Volume: 41 Issue: 9 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1974) Pages: 55-61
• Author(s): R J Shavelson; L C Beckum; B Brown
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DEFINITIONS, EXAMPLES, AND DISCUSSION OF THE VALIDITY OF TRADITIONAL TESTS IN PREDICTING POLICE JOB PERFORMANCE, SUGGESTING REVISION OF TESTS USED.

Abstract

NUMEROUS STUDIES ARE DISCUSSED, SHOWING THAT TRADITIONAL MEASURES SUCH AS APTITUDE TESTS OR GRADES HAVE LITTLE CORRELATION TO LATER JOB SUCCESS, THOUGH THEY DO PREDICT ACADEMIC SUCCESS. STUDIES USING CRITERION BASED TESTS, WHICH MEASURE ABILITY ON TASKS DIRECTLY RELATED TO JOB PERFORMANCE ARE ALSO PRESENTED. A DISCUSSION OF TEST BIAS AND SELECTION IS GIVEN. THE AUTHORS CITE A STUDY BY O'LEARY WHICH STATES THAT THE MORE NEARLY A TEST DUPLICATES A SPECIFIC TASK TO BE DONE ON THE JOB, THE GREATER THE CHANCES OF DEVELOPING SELECTION DEVICES THAT ARE FAIR. MANY STUDIES SHOWING THE GOOD PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF CRITERION SAMPLE TESTS ARE ALSO CITED. BY REASON OF THIS, THE AUTHORS STATE THAT A BATTERY OF TESTS INCLUDING TRADITIONAL TESTS TO PREDICT ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND CRITERION SAMPLE TESTS TO PREDICT JOB PERFORMANCE SHOULD BE USED IN SELECTING PATROLMEN.