Question

Skills Assessment Activity

Throughout your textbook, you will find an assortment of interesting “tests” that sample a broad range of skills, abilities, and traits. Although these exercises allow a glimpse at aspects of personality, the results must be interpreted with caution. For this assignment, complete the self-assessment, “Will You Be a Hit or a Miss? The Expectancy for Success Scale,” on pp. 53-54. Consider how employers and fellow team members could use this instrument at work. Is this test reliable? Is it valid? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of a test that attempts to measure skills, abilities, or traits?

Answer 1

Since I am not familiar with this test, I cannot judge how people would use it nor if it is valid.

One of the drawbacks of tests that measure skills, abilities, or traits is that it is a snapshot of just a small part of a person at one moment of time. It doesn't account for motivation, hard work, or many other intangible traits.

Answer 2

If it will help, <I>reliability</I> is consistency of test results, while <I>validity</I> indicates that a "test measures what it is supposed to measure" by comparing it to objective measurable criteria.

However, when there are obstacles, people who expect themselves to succeed are likely to try harder, while those who expect to fail are more likely to give up — all other things being equal.

I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.