Overgeneralization of validity generalization in personality inventories: applied issues in testing.

Generalization of validity asserts that a predictor or criterion generalizes across studies and will continue to show similar parameters when the situation changes. Kurt Lewin explored situation-behavior relationships, and Mischel examined the situation-behavior association showing predictive accuracy between behaviors and contexts. Investigators have critically reproached the assumed generalization of assessment instruments that ignore contextual variance. The validity hypothesis confirmed that using nonsituation-specific scales does not focus on the contextual effects relevant to the criterion measured and consequently has no practical application for focused evaluation in clinical and employment settings. This study describes a model and technique for the measurement of contextual variance in personality dimensions thereby introducing situation-specificity in evaluation for more focused research, treatment, and a more specific job fit in employment settings.