How selective are psychology graduate programs? The effect of the selection ratio on GRE score validity

This study examined the selection ratio for 253 doctorate-level psychology programs. On average, the selection ratio for psychology Ph.D. programs was .11 (SD = .12). This information was used to estimate the existing range r estriction on General Record Examination (GRE) scores in validation studies . Results of the investigation showed the importance of correcting for rang e restriction in GRE validation research. The low selection ratio of gradua te programs restricted the GRE variance in the validation sample, decreasin g the observed mean correlations with graduate school performance criteria reported in the literature. Appropriate range restriction corrections were made using previous research data. Revised estimates of the GRE validity fo r predicting performance in psychology graduate programs were computed taki ng into account range restriction. Results showed that the GRE is a valid p redictor of graduate school performance. We offer a GRE range restriction d istribution that can be employed in future research on the validity of the GRE.