Indirect processes in criterion-related validity

Four indirect processes affecting the relationship between self-reported pe rsonality attributes and rated job behaviors were examined: through correla ted personality attributes which are conceptually concordant with a criteri on, through correlated cognitive ability conceptually concordant with a cri terion, through correlated concepts in general, and in terms of an emphasis on motivation. It was shown that all four indirect processes contributed t o the magnitude of personality-behavior correlations, both singly and in co mbination, over and above variations in inherent logical overlap, scale rel iability and the observability of a criterion. The same pattern was present for conventional validity coefficients (correlations between self-reports and ratings by a supervisor) and judgments all made by a single individual, suggesting that the measured validity of personality scales reflects gener al perceptions about interdependencies among attributes. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.