An investigation into the attitudes, opinions, and feelings of psychometric test administrators toward the Apil B as a culture fair assessment with special reference to the Employment Equity Act.
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Date
2000
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Abstract
This research is an investigation into the Apil B as a culture fair assessment tool for the purpose of
recruitment and selection. The Employment Equity Act stipulates that "psychological testing and
other similar assessments are prohibited unless the test or assessment being used :-a) has been shown
to be valid and reliable b) can be fairly applied to all employees and c) is not biased against any
employee" (Employment Equity Act, 1998). The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the
Apil B with regard to validity. reliability, cultural fairness, and bias via a consideration of the
attitudes, opinions, and feelings of psychometric test administrators in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region.
The secondary objective is to ascertain whether the Employment Equity legislation has influenced the
attitudes of test administrators toward psychometric testing, and the implications for psychometric
testing in South Africa following the Act.
The sample in this research consists of 20 qualified test administrators of the Apil B. The
administrators are affiliated with the following companies : Beacon, Durban Electricity, Profiled
Appointments, Mondi, McCann and Associates, Saunders and Associates, Tetrapak, lthaJa, and
Mangosuthu Technikon.
Qualitative and quantitative methods are used. A self-administered questionnaire is used to
investigate the attitudes, opinions, and feelings of the respondents toward the Apil B as a culture fair
assessment, specifically in relation to validity, reliability, cultural fairness, and bias. Although most
of the questions are qualitative, quantitative questions are also included. Therefore, this research
requires numerical data as well . The quantitative questions include yes and no responses, as well as
rating scales. The quantitative data supplements the qualitative data and therefore facilitates a more
concrete data base.
The results indicate that all respondents feel that the Apil B is valid, reliable, culture fair and fairly
applied . Respondents feel more positively toward the new updated psychometric tests. They
expressed greater confidence in terms of knowing which tests are inappropriate and which tests are
relevant to specific jobs. It is also evident that the Employment Equity Act has strongly influenced the attitudes of respondents,
in a very positive light, toward the use of psychometric testing. The respondents do however mention
some concerns with regard to language based tests, and the ethical use of tests.
According to the research conducted, the Apil B is regarded as a valid, reliable, and culture fair
assessment tool in the opinion of the respondents utilised in this study. It is therefore recommended
that the Apil B is used in organisations as a test that does not discriminate against any culture or
subculture.
Description
Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.
Keywords
Ability--Testing., Psychological tests--Evaluation., Employee selection--South Africa., Test bias--South Africa., Labour laws and legislation--South Africa., Psychometrics., Theses--Industrial psychology.