Introduction
The focus of this booklet is to analyze three different forms of psychological measurement, identify the methods through which they are measured, and discuss the usefulness of applying such measurements in the context of staff selection.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
An intelligence Quotient or IQ is a number that is used to represent a person’s reasoning ability, as compared to a statistical norm or average for their age. The term IQ was coined by German Psychologist William Stern in 1912.
Measuring IQ
The concept of measuring intelligence was developed by Frenchman Alfred Binet who indicated what intelligence entailed and the ways in which it could be measured. In 1904, he and his colleague T. Simon were employed by the government to measure the intelligence of school children and identify those struggling with their work. The two psychologists engaged the children in a number of tasks in order to provide a foundation of intelligence against which other school children could be compared. They determined that children whose mental age (MA) was two years below that of their chronological age (CA) should receive remedial school lessons.
Terman of Standford University adapted the Binet scale in 1916 to be used as an aid for the classification of the developmentally disabled. This scale later became known as the Standford-Binet scale.
William Stern used these tests to determine an intelligence quotient. The quotient was determined by dividing the mental age by the chronological age and multiplying the result by 100. The results of participants were then measured against those of people of the same age or of a group of people.
Advantages of using IQ in staff selection
Advantages of using measured IQ in the context of staff selection include having a straightforward, objective data set in order to analyze and compare the capabilities of applicants or existing staff members.
The use of IQ in staff selection would save the company much time and money in the application/interview process.
Disadvantages of using IQ in staff selection
Disadvantages of using IQ in the context of staff selection can include the knowledge that an intelligence quotient score does not give a well-rounded representation of an individual’s capabilities, in that while an applicant may be competent in reading and writing, they may not be competent in logical or linguistic aspects of work. For example, an applicant that is excellent at planning and executing the production of the Segway but cannot think logically that its features are not impressive enough for it to revolutionize transportation would be of less use to the company than an applicant who is mediocre in both those skill sets.
Additionally, IQ does not account for past experiences. One applicant may have a higher IQ score, but no experience in the field of work required whereas an applicant with a lower IQ score could have significant experience in the field of work required.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is defined as the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. The concept of Emotional Intelligence typically includes 4 elements, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. The concept of Emotional Intelligence was developed by psychologists Salovey and Mayer in 1990 when there was much controversy related to the effect that the current understanding of general intelligence held. It was argued that people with high intellectual ability are not markedly better at life achievement and thus came the idea that intelligence is deeply interrelated with social interaction. The two psychologists defined the term emotional intelligence as “the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s feelings and to discriminate among them and use this information to guide one’s actions”.
Measuring Emotional Intelligence
Salovey and Mayer indicated that EQ contains four distinctive skills; managing emotions, understanding emotions, using emotions, and perceiving emotions. There is still disagreements among psychologists as to whether EQ is an ability or a positive mix of these four traits.
There are three main methods used to measure emotional intelligence, self-reported (where the individual answers a series of questions and determines themselves), other-reported (where a person is given a series of questions and is asked to evaluate another), and ability tests.
Advantages of using EQ in staff selection
It is undeniable that members of a team are able to work better with one another when they are all of the high or adequate emotional intelligence, and a healthy work environment leads to efficiency, especially in a customer service environment where staff members must be able to smoothly interact with members of the public.
People with higher emotional intelligence are more open and accepting of change, which is a necessary attribute to any work environment, as businesses must grow and adapt in order to stay afloat.
Employees with higher emotional intelligence will be more self-aware, in that they are able to acknowledge their own strengths and weaknesses and actively improve on them.
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Employees who have a higher EQ are more likely to stay calm under pressure and react accordingly in a responsible manner.
Disadvantages of using EQ in staff selection
While emotionally intelligent people tend to form bonds with others easily, when presented with a person who doesn’t like them, they will become less productive when in their presence.
Employees with a higher EQ will lack certain professionalism as a result of their interpersonal relationships. This may not be beneficial in a business environment, which must focus on results not relationships.
Multiple Intelligences (MQ)
The theory of Multiple Intelligences (MQ) was developed by psychologist Howard Gardner in 1983. Gardner believed that being intelligent involved more than being able to produce things that are relevant for particular settings. He proposed that instead of one general intelligence, each individual has eight different forms of intelligence that are in a unique combination. These forms include visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, musical-rhythmic, logical-mathematical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, bodily-kinesthetic, and naturalist. Adverse to previous theories of intelligence (for example the single IQ), MQ is based on the fact that people learn in a variety of different ways.
Measuring Multiple Intelligences
It is extremely difficult to measure multiple intelligences as it is more of a concept involved with learning as opposed to performance. It can, however, be evaluated to identify which particular skill sets an individual performs well in by evaluating different aspects and methods of learning in terms of performance in different areas for schooling. For example, a student who is strong in logical learning will perform well in areas of learning that require problem-solving and identifying patterns. This means that they will most likely perform well in mathematics areas of schooling. Adversely, a student who has high bodily-kinesthetic intelligence will perform well in areas that require motor control and physical movement, namely sporting activities.
Advantages of using MQ in staff selection
By using multiple intelligences to select staff members, interviewers can identify the specific skills that applicants possess and compare those skill sets to the ones required for the job.
Using multiple intelligences indicates methods of teaching that may be useful in the training of new staff.
The use of incorporating MQ into the staff selection process could effectively save much time and money for the company and it narrows down the pool of applicants much more quickly than the traditional job application process.
Disadvantages of using MQ in staff selection
Skill sets that are possessed by a particular individual may not correlate with past experiences, meaning that an applicant may possess the required skills to work in the company and have acquired them from past experience, however, should they not have high intelligence in the areas of learning that is generally associated with the job, they may not be considered properly.
The idea of multiple intelligences is not a very well-developed concept so it can be argued that basing the application process on a theory could be anti-productive and cause issues in terms of staff capability in the future.
Ethics
The concept of ethics behind the use of psychological measurement in the context of staff selection is heavily debated. Some are of the opinion that it increases the efficiency of both the company and the applicant, while others believe that basing important issues such as staff selection on such an undeveloped and sometimes inaccurate idea as IQ can lead to disadvantages of those applicants who received lower IQ scores. It is also noted that an individual’s final measurement may depend entirely on the psychologist performing the test. Additionally, it is argued that the use of psychological measurement in staff selection is an invasion of privacy and dehumanizes applicants by reducing their competency to a single score.
IQ and EQ scores are, in general, heavily debated topics. Many psychologists agree that the methods used to measure general and emotional intelligence are somewhat inaccurate and may not cater to measuring the true intelligence of every person. A highly intelligent individual may receive a lower score on a test such as the single IQ because their particular strengths simply are not assessed. In addition, using IQ in staff selection may not be efficient in every field of employment. Companies whose employees hold more physically demanding jobs may not necessarily benefit from hiring employees with higher IQ scores, since physical assessment is not included in the measuring of an individual’s IQ.
Conclusion
There are three common psychological measurements that are performed and occasionally used in the process of staff selection, that being Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and Multiple Intelligences (MQ).
The usefulness of these three concepts in staff selection is debated and can vary on the requirements involved in the field of work that particular companies are involved in. Although the use of psychological measurement can save companies much time and money, it is generally agreed by psychologists that the use of psychological measurement in staff selection is not overly useful. This is because the scores of such measurements exclude certain elements of an applicant’s capabilities, such as past experiences and intelligence not often measured. This can lead to a misdiagnosis of an applicant’s competency in the field that is being applied for.
There are many limitations in the use of psychological measurement in the context of staff selection. Single IQ tests and EQ tests consistently fail to obtain a well-rounded summary of an individual’s intelligence, as different skills such as musical and kinesthetic intelligence are not assessed and so IQ and EQ cannot be said to offer an accurate insight to an individual’s true intelligence. While the concept of multiple intelligences does cover the concept of less commonly measured intelligence, it in itself is very difficult to measure and cannot be given a score, so it is also inefficient in assessing the overall intelligence of a particular applicant.
References
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