Career AssessmentPart I

Assessment• History

– 1883 U.S. Civil Service Commission

– 1940’s aptitude batteries

• Psychometric Properties

– Reliability

• Types

– Test retest reliability

– Alternate forms reliability

– Split half reliability

Assessment• Peterson, Sampson, and Reardon (1991): Factors that

impact stability (reliability)

– The stability of the trait being measured

– Group differences: race, ethnicity, gender etc.

– Individual differences: genetic endowments, age etc.

– The nature of performance for the variable being measured

– The internal consistence of the test, how psychometrically sound is the test?

• What is the problem with using a test that does not have proven reliability?

Assessment• Psychometric Properties

– Validity

• Types

– Content validity

– Criterion validity

• What is the problem with using a test that does not have proven validity

• Assessment with minority groups

– APPLICABILITY!

– CHECK THE NORM SAMPLE

Types of Assessment• Career Beliefs Inventories

– Assess beliefs about careers and other factors• Career Beliefs Inventory• Career Thoughts Inventory• My Vocational Situation

• Aptitude Tests– Assess potential and/or current ability

• General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB)• The Differential Aptitude Test (GAT)• Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

(ASVAB)

Types of Assessments• Academic Achievement

– Assess present level of academic knowledge and ability

• See page 218

• Career Interest Inventories

– Measures level of interest in occupations

• The Strong Interest Inventory and the Kuder General Interest Survey are the most widely used interest inventories

Interest Inventories• Kuder General Interest Survey

– 1. Outdoor– 2. Mechanical– 3. Computational– 4. Scientific– 5. Persuasive– 6. Artistic– 7. Literary– 8. Musical– 9. Social Services– 10. Clerical

Interest Inventories• Strong Interest Inventory

– 1. General Occupational themes

– 2. Basic Interest Scales

– 3. Occupational Scales

Assessment• Personality Variables

– Determining fit with personality type and work environment is important

– 16PF most widely used personality assessment in career counseling

• Developed by Raymond Cattell

• Currently in the 5th edition

• 185 item test

• 5th grade readability level

• Can be hand or computer scored

16 Personality Factor Questionnaire• Psychometrics

– Test retest reliability .56 to .79

– Internal consistency .64 to. 85

• Interpretive Information

– 16 primary factor scales

– 5 global factor scales

– 3 validity indices

16 Personality Factor Questionnaire• Global Factors

– Extraversion

– Anxiety

– Tough-Mindedness

– Independence

– Self-Control

16 Personality Factor Questionnaire• Primary Scales

– Warmth Vigilance

– Reasoning Abstractedness

– Emotional Stability Privateness

– Dominance Apprehension

– Liveliness Openness to Change

– Rule-Consciousness Self-Reliance

– Social Boldness Perfectionism

– Sensitivity Tension

Assessment• Determining Values

– Work values

– Lifestyle values

• Career Maturity Variables

– Measures vocational development

• Computer assisted guidance assessment

– Pros

– Cons