The Dimensionality of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB)

54 Pages·2011·0.64 MB·English

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Sidel, Ma
"university Enrollment in the People's Republic of
,
Chin
1977-4981:
the examination model returns,
Comparative
7
Educ Lion, Vol. 18, No.-3, 1982, pp. 257-69.
Streeten, Paul, "The Limitsof Development Research," in Social
Sciences and Public Policy in the Developing World, -n-Z-Tton,
Mass., Lekington Books, 1982, pp. 21-56.
DOCUMENT RESUME
TM 830 627
ED 236 166
Hunter, John E.
AUTHOR
The Dimensionality of the General Aptitude Test
-TITLE
Battery (GATB) and the Dominance of General Factors
Prediction of Job
over Specific Factors in the
Performance for the U.S. Employment Service.
Michigan State Dept. of Labor, Detroit. Michigan
INSTITUTION
Employment Security CoMmission.
Employment and Training Administration (DOL),
SPONS AGENCY
Washington, D.C.
USES-TRR-44
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
83
54p.; Written under contract to the Northern Test
NOTE
Development Field Center.
Reports - Research/Technical (143)
PUB TYPE
IMF01/PC03 Plus Postage.
EARS PRICE
Aptitude Tests; Career Counseling; *Factor Structure;
DESCRIPTORS
Variables;
Job Performance; Job Placement; Predictor
Validity;
*Test Construction; Testing Programs; *Test
*Vocational Aptitude
Employment Service; *General Aptitude Test Battery;
'IDENTIFIERS
*General Factor (Intelligence)
*ABSTRACT
First,
The structure.of this report is as follows:
the two theories
specific aptitude theory and general ability theory,
job performance, are presented
of the relation-between ability and
j
discussion of problems in the
and differentiated. Second, there is a
Te'st Battery (GATB) and of
current use of the General Aptitude
based on small sample
problems in the use of multiple cutoff 'scores
dimensionality of the GATB
data. Third, there is a discussion of the
is, there is an analysis
in traditional factor analytic terms. That
persons.
of the correlations between specific/aptitude scores over
nine specific aptitudes
This culminates in a breakdown of each of the
in terms of general
and the three general ability composite scores
variance.
factor variance, specific factor variance, and error
of aptitude validity
Fourth, there are the data on the correlation
the general
coefficients across jobs. These data tend to support
ability theory is
ability theory. Further evidence for the general
spatia4 aptitude. The practical
presented in connection with
applications of
implication of these findings is that the search for
will require '
specific aptitudes to the prediction of job performance
(N=1,000) for, particular jobs
either very large sample size studie
special job ,amilies. (FN)
or the identification of
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can
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USES TEST RESEARCH REPORT NG. 44
APTITUDE
THE DIMENSIONALITY OF THE GENERAL
TEST BATTERY (GATB) AND THE DOMINANCE OF
GENERAL FACTORS OVER SPECIFIC FACTORS IN THE
PREDICTION OF JOB PERFORMANCE
FOR THE
U. S. EMPLOYMENT SERVICE
DIVISION OF COUNSELING AND TEST DEVELOPMENT
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
20213
WASHINGTON, D. C.
.U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EOUCATION
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
XThis document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
El Minor changes have been made to improve
reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this docu-
ment do not necessarily represent official NIE
position or policy.
1983
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
ii
LIST OF TABLES
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ABSTRACT
1
INTRODUCTION
3
OF ABILITY AND JOB PERFORMANCE
TWO THEORIES
12
MULTIPLE CUTOFF PROBLEMS
CURRENT USE OF THE GATB:
17
DIMENSIONALITY OF THE GATB
31
THE DIMENSIONS OF VALIDITY
39
CONC'.USION
f
40
Reference Notes
41
References
43
Appendix
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Page
Figure Number
in the
The findings of research on ability
3
1
first third of the century.
ability and
The research findings on general
4
2
specific aptitudes on the middle third
of the century.
presentation of
An abbreviated path analytic
6
3
to job
two theories relating ability
specific aptitude theory
performance:
and general ability theory.
theories of
A spedfic quantification of twa
9
4
to
ability and job performance designed
show how they can be pitted against one
another.
for the causal
Three alternative path models
24
5
factors
three
the
between
relations
underlying the GATB.
the
age and
race to
A path model .relating
27
the
underlie
which
abilities
three
GATB..
LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table Number
4 which
Hypothetical data derived from Figure
10
1
between two
shows how to differentiate
theories of ability and job performance
correlations between
on the basis of
aptitude validity coefficients across
Aptitude,
=
N
(V = Verbal
jobs,
Numerical Aptitude, G = Intelligence).
the GATB and
The nine aptitudes measured by
17
the tests used for each (USES, 1970, p.
40).
(USES,
aptitudes
between
The correlations
18
3
and their reliabilities
34)
197U,
p.
= 23,428 for
269);
N
p.
(USES,
1.970,
the correlations, decimal omitted.
the
of
analysis
Confirmatory--- factor
20
4
Table
correlations between aptitudes in
and
factors
between
correlations
3;
multiple
aptitudes; done using oblique
with
analysis
factor
groups
factors defined by the
communalities;
listed under them;
decimal'
aptitudes
omitted.
Table 4
Correlations between the factors of
21
5
composite
and between the corresponding
regression
associated
and
scores
analyses (decimals omitted).
for the
Correlations and regression analysis
21
15a
.
factors of Table 4.
for the
Correlations and regression analysis
22
5h
the
estimate
which
scores
composite
omitted).
factors of Table 4 (decimals
and the
The correlations between age, race,
26
the GATB
three factors which underlie
(decimals omitted).
ii
LIST OF TABLES (CONT.)
Table Number
Page
The breakdown in general, specific, and error
30
7
factor variance. for each of the nine
aptitudes and fOr the three composite
scores (decimals omitted).
validity
coefficients
between
Correlations
32
8
across 515 jobs (decimals omitted).
the
anaylsis
factor
of
Confirmatory
33
9
correlations between aptitude validity
Table 8;
coefficients across jobs
in
numbers shown are correlations between
aptitude
validity
and
factors
coefficients (decimals omitted); method
factor
multiple
groups
oblicille
is.
factors
communalities;
with
analysis
aptitude validities
the
defined
by
listed under them.
Correlations between the factors of Table 9
34
10
and between the corresponding composite
coefficients
(decimals
validity
omitted) and the associated regression
analyses.
Correlations and regression analysis for the
34
10a
factors of Table 9.
for
the
analysis
regression
Correlations
34
10b
composite score validity coefficients.
selected aptitudes
The average validity of
37
11
job
for
composites
aptitude
and
families determined by ratings. of the
low
aptitude;
spatial
relevance
of
numbers mean
relevance
high
category
for spatial aptitude.
6
iii
ACKNOWLEDEGMENT
program for
research
test
conducts
The United States Employment Service a
counseling and placement.
developing testing tools useful in vocational
is to provide results of significant test
The purpose of this series of reports
These reports will be of interest to
research projects as they are completed.
research personnel in State agencies and other
users of USES tests and to test
organizations.
of
hundreds
by
done
of validity studies
findings
the
paper cumulates
The
Special
Service over a 45 year span.
analysts working for the U.S. Employment'
underlying this work at the
thanks go to Ron Boese who did all the computer runs
field center in North Carolina.
under
E. Hunter, Michigan State University,
This report was written by Dr. John
Development Field Centers Michigan. Employment
contract to the Northern Test
The report was prepared for printing by
Security Commission, Detroit, Michigan.
of
Department
Utah
Center,
Field
Development
Test
Western
the
of
staff
Employment Security.
ft
iv
ABSTRACT
GATB show that the
9 aptitudes measured by the
The correlations between the
A
factors:
clusters which define three general
aptitudes break into three
perceptual
learning) factor with G, V; N;
a
cognitive (thought, reasoning,
(see Table 2 for
psychomotor factor with K, F, M
factor with S, P, Q; and a
aptitude.. validity
between
Correlations
aptitudes).
the
of
explanation
Correlations between
structure.
same
the
show
515 'jobs
over
coefficients
general factor
for aptitudes measuring the same
aptitude validity coefficients
individual
the validity of the
show that 'virtually all
are high enough to
than the specific
of the general factors rather
aptitudes is due to the validity
and there
is satisfied within clusters
Thus the unit weight hypothesis
factors.
of three composite
in restoring the GATB in terms
is little information lost
predicted almost perfectly
The perceptual factor is
GVN, SPQ, and KFM.
scores:
the perceptual composite SPQ
psychomotor factors and hence
by the cognitive and
predictive power of the battery.
will contribute little to the
&
v
INTRODUCTION
studies over the last
completed 515 validation
S. Employment Service has
The U.
S. economy.
of all the jobs in the U.
These studies cover a sampling
40 years.
(GATB).
Aptitude Test Battery
test battery, the General
All studies use the same
validity generalization
phase of the application of
This report covers the first
Should
this phase was:
The question askA in
methodology to this data base.
it
aptitudes measured or should
of the nine specific
the GATB be scored in terms
The
by factor analysis?
general factors as implied
be scored in terms of three
in terms of general
shows that the answer is to score
data to be presented here
aptitudes.
abilities rather than specific
issue in employment
long been an
has
report
question for this
The central
The specific
in terms of two theories.
The issue can be couched
research.
predicted by matching
job performance can be best
aptitude' theory argues that
For example, the
materials.
items to the content of job
the content.ef the test
job working with words
would predict that a clerical
specific aptitude theory
general cognitive ability
verbal aptitude rather than
would be best predicted by
by
would be best predicted
job working with numbers
clerical
that
and
a
The general ability
ability.
than general cognitive
numerical aptitude rather
This
in their own right.
learned as aptitudes
theory- argues that jobs are
cognitiie
and hence general
general cognitive ability
learning is governed by
aptitudes.
predictor than specific
ability will be a better
The path models
models.
stated in the form of path
These two theories can be
,
using a statistic from
be tested against one another
show that the theories ,can
If
studies).
methods of cumulating results across
meta-analysis (quantitative
of
aptitudes for a wide variety
validity of 'specific
data are available on the
of validity across jobs.
predict different patterns
jobs, then the two theories
for two specific aptitudes are
the validity coefficients
In' particular,- if
theory predicts a very low
the specific aptitude
correlated across jobs, then
perfect correlation.
a
ability theory predicts
correlation while the general
Employment Service data
be tested in the U.S.
This differential prediction can
sampling error, but
of the effects of
control
The test requires the
base.
available which do just that.
formulas from meta-analysis are
theories are an
shows that the classic
the data for the GATB
The analysis of
general
one
pit
theories
two
The
reality.
of
oversimplification
Analysis of the GATB suggests
aptitudes.
factor--intelligence--against specific
and
Cognitive ability, perceptual ability,
abilities:
not\one but three general
thought,
to concepts such as
Cognitive ability refers
psychomotor ability.
and
cognitive ability
The distinction between
learning, memory.
planning,
concept than
cognitive ability is a more narrow
perceptual ability means that
between cognitive and perceptual
However, the correlation
general intelligence.
and
ability
cognitive
between
distinction
the
hence
and
.88
is
ability
small.
intelligence is quantitatively