Kr. Murphy, Impact of assessments of validity generalization and situational specificity on the science and practice of personnel selection, INT J SEL A, 8(4), 2000, pp. 194-206
The application of meta-analysis, in particular validity generalization (VG
) analysis, to the cumulative literature on the validity of selection tests
has fundamentally changed the science and practice of personnel selection.
VG analyses suggest that the validities of standardized tests and other st
ructured assessments are both higher and more consistent across jobs and or
ganizations than was previously believed. As a result, selection researcher
s and practitioners can draw on the research literature to make reasonably
accurate forecasts about the validity and usefulness of different tests in
particular applications. Distinctions between tests of validity generalizat
ion and tests of situational specificity are described, and difficulties in
demonstrating that validity is constant across the different settings wher
e tests are used are outlined.