Developing a biodata measure and situational judgment inventory as predictors of college student performance

This article describes the development and validation of a biographical data (biodata) measure and situational judgment inventory (SJI) as useful predictors of broadly defined college student performance outcomes. These measures provided incremental validity when considered in combination with standardized college-entrance tests (i.e., SAT/ACT) and a measure of Big Five personality constructs. Racial subgroup mean differences were much smaller on the biodata and SJI measures than on the standardized tests and college grade point average. Female students tended to outperform male students on most predictors and outcomes with the exception of the SAT/ACT. The biodata and SJI measures show promise for student development contexts and for selecting students on a wide range of outcomes with reduced adverse impact.     

Sex differences in sport spectator involvement

Among 107 male and 166 female college students, the present study examined sex differences in involvement with sports as spectators. A 14-item Likert-type scale was used to measure the subjects' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral involvement in sports as spectators. Confirming prior findings, male subjects exhibited higher involvement with sport spectating than did females. The current data also provide support for the unidimensionality, reliability, and validity of the Sport Spectator Involvement Scale.     

A Biodata Inventory Administered via Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Technology: Predictive Validity, Utility, and Subgroup Differences

Although organizations are increasingly using interactive voice response (IVR) systems to help screen and select job applicants, few if any published studies have investigated the effectiveness of such systems. The current study responded to this need by evaluating a biodata inventory administered via IVR technology. A predictive validity study revealed that both a 42-item biodata measure and a more parsimonious 6-item composite correlated with supervisor ratings of performance and did not result in adverse impact or differential prediction. In addition, a utility analysis indicated that both IVR biodata measures would likely result in considerable financial gains to the hiring organization. The implications of these results for selection research and practice are discussed.     

Attitudes Toward Rape Among African American Male and Female College Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate how African American male and female college students differ in their attitudes concerning rape. Two-hundred and ten college students completed a 12-item questionnaire designed to measure their views toward this issue. A 2-group multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed statistically significant differences between African American men and women, with men being more accepting of stereotypes and myths about rape. These differences are discussed in the context of sexism and rape myths. Strategies for changing students' attitudes toward rape are proposed.     

NON-HYPNOTIC EXPERIENCES RELATED TO HYPNOTIZABILITY IN MALE AND FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Ås, A. Non-hypnotic experiences related to hypnotizability in male and female college students. Scand. J. Psychol ., 1962, 3 , 112–131.—Some recent research on the relation between subjective experiences and hypnotic susceptibility is reviewed. In a male sample of 50 subjects significant correlations between scores on the Experience Inventory and hypnotizability were found. A cross-validation of composite experience scores on this sample and a female sample studied earlier gave positive results. Based on several sources of data a preliminary analysis is made of the similarities and differences between male and female students regarding experiences related to hypnotizability.     

履历数据测评的效度分析

履历数据是人员测评的重要手段, 但其组织情景性限制使得国外同类工具不能适用于国内人事选拔, 国内也缺乏实证研究验证其信度、效度。本研究结合某通信企业的招募选拔工作, 开发履历数据分析工具, 选取250名应聘者的履历数据、一般认知能力、大五个性和面试结果数据, 通过效标关联效度、增量效度思想, 分析履历数据有效性。结果表明, 以面试结果为效标, 履历数据具有良好的效标关联效度, 与其他测评工具组合使用时有良好的增量效度。     

An Ideal Student Factor and the validity of noncognitive measures of student potential

The presence of a general factor has been found in previous research on the utilization of personality tests in selection contexts. Termed the Ideal Employee Factor (IEF), this factor is thought to represent an effort to present oneself as an ideal employee to some degree on all items in the test. Examining the responses to biodata and situational judgment items, we provide evidence for the existence of a factor similar to the IEF within the college admissions context, termed the Ideal Student Factor (ISF), but the magnitude of this factor relative to specific factors was small. Mixed support was found for the hypothesized differences in the factor loadings on the ISF for different constructs included in the model. The presence of the ISF was not found to substantially impact the validity of other predictors within this study. The overall conclusion is that this general factor would not impact the use of these biodata and situational judgment items in college admissions.     

Sex differences in the frequency and functions of fantasies during sexual activity

A questionnaire about the frequency and effects of different thoughts during heterosexual activity was returned by 66 females and 75 males in a random sample of college undergraduates and graduate students. A high response rate (91%) was obtained, and the male and female respondents were shown to be generally similar in sexual experience. Frequency data confirmed an earlier study of the same population in finding that, during sexual activity, males think more about past sexual experiences and ongoing behavior, while females think more about imaginary experiences. Effects data indicated that these frequency differences occur because females use fantasy more than males to increase arousal, to decrease anxiety about sexual activity, to compensate for less-than-ideal sexual experience, and to enhance even a satisfactory experience. Males, in contrast, use thoughts of real experience more often than females to increase arousal and to control and direct sexual activity.     

DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF THE ATTITUDES TOWARD FEMINISM AND THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT (FWM) SCALE

This article outlines the development and testing of the Attitudes Toward Feminism and the Women's Movement (FWM) Scale, a brief measure of affective attitudes toward the feminist movement. Thurstone's (1959) method of equal-appearing intervals was used initially to create the final 10-item summated rating (Likert) scale. Establishment of internal consistency reliability and construct (convergent and discriminant) validity was determined on a sample of 117 female and male college students. Results suggested a highly internally consistent and valid attitudinal measure. Additional evidence for the validity of the FWM is discussed in terms of research in which it has been successfully used.     

The Utility of Homogeneous Subgroups and Individual Information in Prediction

A number of behavioral research studies have employed subgroups of subjects for prediction. In using subgroups for predictive purposes, a key assumption is often overlooked, i.e., at least one of the grouping or predictor dimensions affects the relationships between the other grouping dimensions and the criteria. The purposes of the present study were (a) to emphasize this commonly overlooked assumption and (b) to examine empirically the utility of subgroup versus individual information in prediction. Data collected on 509 freshmen in 32 life history subgroups (19 male and 13 female subgroups) were used to evaluate the utility of subgroup information in prediction. Of 24 criteria (college experience data, e.g., academic achievement) predicted by subgroup information, predictive efficiency of four criterion measures was enhanced when subgroup information was added to individual information. However, for the vast majority of the criterion measures, predictive efficiency would have been lost had only subgroup information been used in prediction. It is recommended that researchers carefully evaluate the effects on predictive efficiency when using subgroups rather than individual information in prediction.     

Development and initial validation of brief public domain RIASEC marker scales

Although commercially developed interest measures based on Holland’s RIASEC types are effectively used in a variety of applied settings, these measures have somewhat limited research utility due to their length and copyright restrictions placed by the test publishers. In the present study, two sets of 8-item RIASEC scales were developed using activity-based items selected from the 30-item RIASEC scales of the Interest Profiler, and two sets of 8-item RIASEC scales were developed using sets of 30 occupational job titles selected from the O∗NET database representing each Holland type. Responses to the items were obtained from three samples of college students with a total of 1024 female and 639 male participants. Results obtained in the initial development and validation process suggest that the sets of brief activity- and occupational-based RIASEC scales developed in the current study retain acceptable levels of reliability and convergent validity. The development of these brief public domain RIASEC interest measures addresses the copyright and length limitations of current scales and may be useful when conducting integrative research examining the inter-relations between Holland’s types and other individual differences measures.     

The Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale (URCS): reliability and validity evidence for a new measure of relationship closeness

A fundamental dimension along which all social and personal relationships vary is closeness. The Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale (URCS) is a 12-item self-report scale measuring the closeness of social and personal relationships. The reliability and validity of the URCS were assessed with college dating couples (N = 192), female friends and strangers (N = 330), friends (N = 170), and family members (N = 155). The results show that the scale is unidimensional, with high reliability across relationship types (M α = .96). Evidence consistent with validity included substantial within-couple agreement for the romantic couples (intraclass correlation = .41), substantial friend-stranger discrimination for the female friends (η2 = .82), and measurement invariance across relationship types. Evidence of convergent and divergent validity was obtained for inclusion of other in the self and relational satisfaction, respectively.     

Impact of elaboration on socially desirable responding and the validity of biodata measures

The current study investigated the impact of requiring respondents to elaborate on their answers to a biodata measure on mean scores, the validity of the biodata item composites, subgroup mean differences, and correlations with social desirability. Results of this study indicate that elaborated responses result in scores that are much lower than nonelaborated responses to the same items by an independent sample. Despite the lower mean score on elaborated items, it does not appear that elaboration affects the size of the correlation between social desirability and responses to biodata items or that it affects criterion-related validity or subgroup mean differences in a practically significant way.     

基于行为事件的履历资料评估

行为事件的履历资料评估能有效克服传统履历数据构思效度弱、情景限制多等问题。本研究结合某通信企业招聘工作,选取250名应聘者数据,结合关键事件法,通过对履历事件的行为锚定来评估应聘者的胜任特征。研究在多重比较行为履历资料、履历表数据、认知能力等多个指标组合对录用结果预测的回归模型基础上,检验新增指标的预测效度。结果表明,行为事件的履历资料评估具有效标关联效度,与其他工具组合使用时具有增量效度。     

Development of an inventory of teachers' attitudes towards sex-role stereotyping and knowledge of sex differences

The Scott Sex-Role Inventory (SSRI) is a 37-item questionnaire of teachers' knowledge of sex differences and attitudes toward sex-role stereotyping. Norms, reliability, and validity were developed on a suburban southeastern school system. Responses of male and female teachers were comparable on both sections of the test. The SSRI offers an index of teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward sex roles which may help to assess (1) needs for attitude change and (2) the effectiveness of intervention programs.     

The trials of childhood: The development,reliability, and validity of the daily life stressors scale

The assessment of daily life stress in youngsters is receiving extensive research attention due to its pertinence to psychological and medical problems. This investigation addressed concerns from previous studies of daily life stress in children and adolescents. These included an integration with ratings of negative affectivity, exploration of developmental changes, and presentation of psychometric data. The Daily Life Stressors Scale (DLSS) is a 30-item measure designed to assess the severity of aversive feelings and everday events for youngsters. Three groups of children and adolescents were evaluated to assess the scale's test-retest reliability and construct and concurrent validity. Developmental changes in a normative group were also examined. Results indicated the DLSS to be moderately reliable and valid for children. Also, male children reported more stress than female children, whereas female adolescents reported more stress than male adolescents. Results were discussed with respect to resilience, gender role stress, therapy implications, and usefulness for determining precursors to physiological problems.     

“I Took His V-Card”: An Exploratory Analysis of College Student Stories Involving Male Virginity Loss

The focus of this exploratory study was to investigate the experience of male virginity loss involving a sexually experienced (non-virgin) female with an inexperienced (virgin) male. Specifically, this qualitative research focused on the analysis of 237 stories collected from college students. While the stereotypical image is of the experienced male with his inexperienced (virgin) female partner, this study looked at the reverse. Stories described both partners’ experience and were coded for common themes. The three most prevalent themes to emerge from the analysis centered around: disclosing his virginity, emotions surrounding the experience, and issues related to gender role expectations. This exploratory study of male virginity loss provides new insight into young people’s assumptions, feelings, and gender role expectations. The results provide a greater understanding of the issues young people face while navigating their early sexual experiences. The themes offer guidance for sexuality education programs, as well as directions for future research.     

How the sexes perceive each other: Advantages and disadvantages

Two hundred and forty-seven female and 138 male college students completed a survey that asked them to judge the advantages and disadvantages of being a member of the other sex. Both sexes were found to perceive males to have significantly more advantages and significantly fewer disadvantages than females. Men based their judgments of female advantages to a significantly greater extent upon social considerations than women did for males. The reverse was true for disadvantage responses. Multivariate and univariate analyses of the responses within advantage and disadvantage categories revealed several significant differences between the sexes. These findings revealed a complex pattern as to how each sex perceives the other. Discussion relates these differences to differences between the sexes in life experiences and expectations. Suggestions for further research are offered.Appreciation is expressed to Barry Arbuckle and Tina Tanner for their assistance in the coding of the data.     

Situational influences on destructive acts

Social psychological approaches to destructive behavior have stressed the importance of environmental factors, but, the range of potentially important life events has not been identified. Using a personality-based model of destructiveness, a pool of relevant biodata items were generated. A sample of 285 college students completed the situational-based biodata measure, the CPI, and two standardized integrity screening measures. A factor analysis of the biodata items resulted in seven factors: alienation, nonsupportive family, negative adult models, life stressors, competitive pressures, negative peer group and financial need. In a series of blocked regressions the situational scales produced significant increases in prediction over the personality variables on the measures of integrity, socialization and delinquency. The implications of these findings for selection and research are discussed. This research was supported by a grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research (Contract No. 00014-0339, Michael D. Mumford and Theodore L. Gessner, Principal Investigators.     

Criminal offense type and the causes of loneliness

This study is an examination of the influences of incarceration on perceived causes of loneliness. A heterogeneous prison population was divided into five homogeneous subgroups (sex offenders, violent offenders, property offenders, drug-related offenders, and a category that contained all other miscellaneous offenders) whose loneliness experiences were then compared. Three hundred fifty-six incarcerated male offenders and 501 men from the general population were recruited on a voluntary basis. They reported the perceived sources of their loneliness on an 82-item yes/no questionnaire. Results indicated significant differences in perceived causes of loneliness between the criminal and general populations and within the criminal sample when the data were examined according to offense type.