The Operational Validity of a Video-Based Situational Judgment Test for Medical College Admissions Illustrating the Importance of Matching Predictor and Criterion Construct Domains

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology Vol. 90; no. 3; pp. 442 - 452
• Main Authors: Lievens, Filip, Buyse, Tine, Sackett, Paul R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01.05.2005
• Subjects: Access to education; Admissions policies; Adolescent; Adult; Applicants; Aptitude; Belgium; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition; College admissions; Curricula; Curriculum; Educational psychology; Educational Status; Entrance Examinations; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Higher education; Human; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Judgement; Judgment; Male; Medical schools; Medical Students; Noncognitive aspects; Orientation. Evaluation; Predictive validity; Probability; Psychological tests; Psychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Reproducibility of Results; School Admission Criteria - statistics & numerical data; Selection criteria; Statistics as Topic; Student Admission Criteria; Students, Dental - psychology; Students, Dental - statistics & numerical data; Students, Medical - psychology; Students, Medical - statistics & numerical data; Studies; Test Validity; Testing; Validity; Belgium; Human; Medicine; Test validation; Criterion; Psychometrics; University selection; Cognition; Student; Predictive factor; Judgment; College academic achievement
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854
• DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.90.3.442

This study is part of a trend of examining noncognitive predictors, for example, a situational judgment test (SJT), as supplements to cognitive predictors for making college admission decisions. The authors examined criterion data over multiple academic years and universities. The criterion domain was broadly conceptualized, including both cognitive and interpersonal domains. The sample consisted of 7,197 candidates of the Medical and Dental Studies Admission Exam in Belgium. Results confirmed the importance of cognitive predictors. A video-based SJT was differentially valid for predicting overall grade point average for different curricula. The SJT showed incremental validity over cognitively oriented measures for curricula that included interpersonal courses, but not for other curricula. The SJT became more valid through the years. This demonstrates the importance of carefully specifying predictor-criterion linkages and of differentiating both predictor and criterion constructs.