STRUCTURED INTERVIEWING: RAISING THE PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW

A highly structured employment interviewing technique is proposed, which includes the following steps: (1) develop questions based on a job analysis, (2) ask the same questions of each candidate, (3) anchor the rating scales for scoring answers with examples and illustrations, (4) have an interview panel record and rate answers, (5) consistently administer the process to all candidates, and (6) give special attention to job relatedness, fairness, and documentation in accordance with testing guidelines. Examination of psychometric properties for hiring entry-level production employees ( n = 149) reveals high interrater reliability ( r = .88) and predictive validity (uncorrected r = .34, corrected r = .56), as well as evidence for test fairness and utility. The levels of these properties are comparable to those of a comparison battery of typical employment tests, and correlations with the tests suggest that the interview has a strong cognitive aptitude component. Potential explanations for the effectiveness of this structured interviewing technique are discussed.     

To Give a Surprise Exam,Use Game Theory

This paper proposes a game-theoretic solution of the surprise examination problem. It is argued that the game of “matching pennies” provides a useful model for the interaction of a teacher who wants her exam to be surprising and students who want to avoid being surprised. A distinction is drawn between prudential and evidential versions of the problem. In both, the teacher should not assign a probability of zero to giving the exam on the last day. This representation of the problem provides a diagnosis of where the backwards induction argument, which “proves” that no surprise exam is possible, is mistaken. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Refining Dimensions of Spiritual Wellness: A Cross-Traditional Approach

There is an increased interest in the topic of spirituality in the fields of counselor education and professional counseling. Present research involves the constructs of spirituality, religiosity, spiritual well-being, and spiritual wellness. This article reports a study in which previously published dimensions of spiritual wellness were reviewed and refined by a cross-cultural panel of 12 people representing 11 different spiritual traditions. The initial 7 dimensions of spiritual wellness were revised and expanded to 10 dimensions that met with agreement across the traditions represented by the panel and provide a starting point for further inquiry.     

tomorrow's horoscope for today's counselor types

It is salutary for us to view ourselves with tongue in cheek occasionally. Humor carries its own modicum of truth, so the reader is enjoined to play the game according to the rules. If you become offended, says the author, you either believe in astrology or take yourself too seriously—perhaps both. If you are amused, fine; but the author hopes this article will provoke a little thought as well.     

Moral Responsibility, Psychiatric Disorders and Duress

ABSTRACT  The paper is a discussion of moral responsibility and excuses in regard to psychiatric disorders involving abnormal desires (e.g. impulse control disorders such as kleptomania and pyromania, psychosexual disorders such as exhibitionism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and others). It points out problems with previous approaches to the question of whether or not to excuse persons with these disorders, and offers a new approach based on the concept of duress. There is a discussion of duress in regard to non-psychiatric cases based on the core notion of duress involving a choice between undesirables, and the paper concludes with an argument that moral blame for individuals with these sorts of disorders should often be lessened and in some cases removed entirely.