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JMU Student Assessment Center Proposal

Purpose of the Assessment Center:

The main purpose of this assessment center is to predict job
performance, as indirectly determined by specific life outcomes, using
current criteria measures. This will be accomplished by assessing the
correlation between various assessment center outcomes with other
current/predictive outcomes. Another purpose includes measuring and
evaluating how successful the Psychology Department is in facilitating
mastery of major objectives (also measured by specific KSAOs) in their
students, in addition to identifying any curriculum deficits. Meeting major
objectives includes keeping their promise to provide quality education to all
students in order to facilitate successful life outcomes by providing wellprepared students for graduate schools and/or jobs that acquire recent
graduates. In other words, this secondary objective also relates to the
predictive purpose of the assessment center, as higher success in meeting
these objectivesas well as changes to better-reach these objectiveslikely
will facilitate more positive life outcomes.

Assessment Center Outcome Focuses and Measurement

Criteria
Life Outcomes for a Psychology Major
These life outcomes were chosen because they are they are indirectly
related to job success and/or job performance, which is the main focus of this
assessment center. In order to have a successful life outcome, participants
must have a positive outcome for all three criteria.
Positive Performance Evaluations
This life outcome can be measured through several variables,
including number of promotions (if the graduate has been employed over a
long period of time, e.g., the duration of the 5 years between graduation and
the survey), or else history of dismissals if the graduate does not
currently have a job and researchers are unable to contact his/her previous
employer(s). Those students that "passed" the assessment center should
have significantly less dismissals and significantly more promotions than
those that "failed."
As addressed in the validity section, performance evaluations will be
primarily determined by sending surveys to current or (if the graduate is not
currently employed) past employers. These employers will answer a series of
Likert-type statements regarding the observable performance of the student
participant using a scale of 1 (unacceptable) to 7 (exceeds expectations).
The student participant must be rated highly on at least 70% of statements.
A high rating will be interpreted if the evaluator answers 6 (meets

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expectations) or 7 (exceeds expectations). A section will also be included for
work history, such as history of promotions.
This outcome was chosen because quality education should
give students the necessary competencies for job success, which is indirectly
measured by performance evaluations.
Salary Increase/Progress
The survey sent to the graduate will measure this particular outcome
through one of several potential methods. If the graduate has had the same
job from the time of graduation until administration of the survey, it can be
measured by the percent salary increase from starting salary until currently.
Those that "passed" the assessment center should have
a significantly higher salary percentage increase than those that
"failed." Otherwise, surveyors may compare graduates working in the same
position or closely related fields, and those that "passed" the assessment
center should have significantly higher salaries than those that "failed."
This outcome was chosen because salary increases typically signal
job success in that they are common rewards for satisfactory job
performance.

High Workplace Engagement and Satisfaction

The survey sent to the graduate will measure this particular
outcome using a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7
(strongly agree). Participants must be deemed "engaged" on at least 70% of
statements for this outcome to be considered successful. The status
"engaged" will be assigned to statements rated as either 6 (agree) or 7
(strongly agree).
This outcome was chosen because high work engagement is
associated with better (e.g., successful) job performance, which indicates the
likelihood of continued job success and progression, according to the GallupPurdue Index Report (2014) titled "Great Jobs, Great Lives."

Assessment Criteria and Predictors of Outcomes

The following are related to specific KSAOs being utilized to predict the
aforementioned life outcomes. Additionally, they represent skills and
competencies that all psychology majors should possess upon graduation to
facilitate positive life outcomes.
Ability to quickly learn new skills and to adapt to unfamiliar
situations and tasks
This outcome was chosen because successful workers must continue to
change with their job, thus allowing them to acclimate to new environments
and to remain productive as workers in an organization over
time. Landrum et al. (2010) state that the ability and willingness to adapt, to
learn new skills, and to apply these skills to novel situations and tasks

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is considered one of the top ten most important skills for workers, further
arguing
that this criteria "prepares students for dynamic changes in both personal
and professional settings (p.149). An additional study also lists
this outcome as one that employers most
desire from graduates (Landum et al., 2003), thus suggesting that
possession of this competency will facilitate more positive evaluations from
organizations and therefore higher job success. This outcome will
be determined by activities measuring the following related KSAOs:
Problem-Solving and Critical-Thinking Skills
Adaptability
Ability to work and communicate effectively on a team and
with coworkers
This encompasses an individual's ability to effectively
engage and communicate
across a variety of mediums with clients, team members, colleagues, and
supervisors in a positive manner that contributes to the efficient production
of quality work. This is also a desired outcome of undergraduate education in
the field of psychology in that, according to Landrum et al. (2010), it is a top
quality that employers seek out in job applicants and future employees. This
outcome will be determined by activities that measure the
following related KSAOs:
Multicultural Awareness
Communication/Interpersonal Skills
Writing and Oral Expression

Satisfactory problem-solving and critical-thinking skills

This involves the ability to creatively and effectively solve problems
and to think critically in novel situations that arise on the job or during a
task. The implications of this competency are indicated by Landrum et al.
(2010), noting that the ability to solve problems and to suggest solutions
independently is one of the top qualities that employers desire in graduates.
Additionally, the lack of this skill may contribute to the likelihood of dismissal
or termination, as many employers seek out employees that can contribute
to rather than impede upon company productivity. This outcome will
be determined by activities that measure the following relevant KSAOs:
Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills
Adaptability

Ability to apply ethical practices

and psychological knowledge and skills to the workplace
This involves the ability to institute ethical decision-making practices in
daily work, in addition to the utilization and application of psychological
knowledge and skills learned in undergraduate work. While the ability to
apply psychological knowledge and skills is clearly important for job

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performance and is an outcome that all psychology graduates should have, it
is especially crucial to understand and use ethical practices, as unethical
behavior has been cited as one of the leading causes of
employment termination (Landrum et al., 2010). This outcome will
be determined by activities that measure the following
KSAOs:
Knowledge of Psychology and its Applications
Knowledge of Ethical Guidelines and Practices
Sensitivity to and support of population diversity
This requires an individual to possess a certain level of compassion and
to demonstrate the ability to sensitively support and provide services to a
diverse population in society. Furthermore, this requires that graduates are
aware of multicultural factors and how they may impact their daily work,
including the lives and cognitions of their coworkers and/or
clients. Milem (2003) emphasizes the importance of cross-cultural
competence, arguing that workers must be aware of diversity and be willing
to adopt different perspectives if they are to work effectively in today's
diverse workforce. This outcome will be determined by activities that
measure the following KSAOs:
Multicultural Awareness
Communication/Interpersonal Skills
Written and Oral Expression

Familiarity with psychological measurement techniques

and processes to synthesize and organize information
This encompasses a graduate's ability to utilize an array of
psychological measurement techniques, in addition
to analyzing and synthesizing
qualitative/quantitative information and data. According to Landrum et al.
(2010), the ability to gather and synthesize information is a highly desired
outcome that employers seek in their psychology
graduates. It is also important to know how to interpret research findings to
best implement them in clinical practice or to identify the best research
technique/statistical tests to run, which may improve job performance and
success. This outcome is especially important when working on projects, in
which workers must know how to gather, interpret, and organize
information in order to successfully accomplish their goals. This outcome will
be determined by activities that measure the following KSAOs:
Information Synthesis and Psychometric Skills

Engagement
Engagement is associated with active manipulation
and application of learned skills in order to augment understanding of
the material. According to the Gallup-Purdue Index Report (2014) titled
"Great Jobs, Great Lives," higher engagement in education makes workplace

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engagement more likely. Additionally, the report mentions
that engagement is associated with better, more productive job
performance and, therefore, job success. A Likert-type scale measuring from
1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) will be utilized to
measure engagement (see Determinants of Successful Students for more
information). Some example statements to measure level of undergraduate
engagement include:
I have had/currently have a mentor that has helped/currently
helps me to better understand and apply concepts that I
am learning.
I have had an internship or job that allowed me to apply
what I am learning in the classroom.
I am passionate about my curriculum and area of study.
I actively seek out volunteer opportunities and other activities
to apply skills and competencies related to my area of study.

Relevant KSAOs
1.

Problem-Solving and Critical-Thinking Skills

This skill involves the ability to consider and analyze different scenarios
and problems through the application of critical and creative thinking
techniques. The skill utilizes an individuals ability to consider potential
perspectives and prospective outcomes, which should translate into an
evaluative and thorough judgment or conclusion about a specified
inquiry. This KSAO was selected because it was identified as a Psychology
Major Learning Objective at James Madison University and is recommended
by the American Psychological Association as an importance competency for
jobs in psychology. Furthermore, the ability to think critically and to provide
creative solutions to problems is a desired outcome undergraduate education
in psychology, and it was categorized as a top skill that employers desire in
their employees (Landrum et al., 2010).
This KSAO is classified as both a criterion and a predictor for the purpose
of this assessment center. This skill is considered a criterion as it relates to
the psychology major learning objectives, i.e., a competency that all
graduates should possess, and it is a current criterion of this assessment
center (e.g., it is a KSAO that this assessment center is attempting to
measure presently in student participants). Finally, employer emphasis of
this KSAO indicates its importance for job performance, thus suggesting that
it also serves as a major predictor of successful life outcomes.

2.

Written and Oral Expression

This involves the ability to effectively and appropriately convey
information to others through a variety of formats, including written and oral
techniques. This skill is applicable across any career path or industry, as
being able to communicate ideas effectively will remain relevant whether it
involves competently presenting a proposal or presentation, collaborating

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with and arguing for project ideas on teams, or drafting a grant or research
publication. This KSAO was selected as it is identified as a Psychology Major
Learning Objective at James Madison University and has been identified by
employers as important for successful job performance (Landrum et al.,
2010).
This skill is both a criterion and predictor. It is a criterion because it
directly relates to the ability to work and communicate effectively with team
members and coworkers, which is a factor that this assessment center is
currently measuring. This skill also serves as a predictor because
organizations vigorously seek individuals who not only can effectively
communicate but will also function well as part of a team (Landrum et al.,
2010). Thus, as an outcome, this could translate into better work
evaluations, salaries, and potential for promotionsall of which are indirect
measures of job success.
3.

Knowledge of Psychology and its Applications

This skill involves the obtainment, demonstration, and communication
of accurate and detailed information concerning the field of Psychology. In
order for graduates to utilize a degree in Psychology, they must
possess thorough knowledge of principles, theories, illnesses and disorders,
treatments, research, and ethical considerations. This KSAO was chosen
because it is considered an objective that the university's Department of
Psychology strives to obtain. Adding to this, Landrum et al. (2010, p.150)
states that, "psychology educators need to provide a strong foundation of
psychological literacy that will contribute to their lifelong learning in a variety
of contexts" and that "students should be able to articulate and apply the
knowledge, skills, and values consistent with their
coursework." Additionally, Landrum et al. specifies this KSAO as an outcome
that employers desire from an undergraduate education in this field.
Finally, this KSAO is classified as both a criterion and a predictor. It is a
criterion because it relates to demonstration of the possession
of psychological knowledge, which is an important outcome identified and
measured by the assessment center and is an objective of the Department of
Psychology that all graduates should be able to meet. This KSAO, however, is
also a predictor because it can be linked to the future overall quality of
work, as well as performance evaluations. If a student exemplifies this
KSAO, s/he will not only meet the department objective and the expectations
of his/her employers, but is also more likely to be competent on the job
and provide higher-quality service to clients, thus receiving stronger
performance evaluations than a student who does not exemplify this KSAO.

4.

Knowledge of Ethical Guidelines and Practice

This skill involves the understanding of ethical guidelines and
the demonstration of ethical decision-making in lieu of rules set by the
organization and the IRB in all tasks associated with job performance. This
KSAO also involves the ability to maintain client confidentiality

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and to properly handle situations where disclosure becomes required, in
addition to adherence to specific criteria concerning the storage and
dissemination of files, notes, and other sensitive information. Additionally,
this KSAO requires that all graduates have an understanding of and
continuously practice ethical research guidelines in order to protect the
dignity and well-being of clients and research participants.
This KSAO was chosen because the possession of this knowledge,
including ethics related to psychological research and the treatment of
animals and humans in research, is a university objective for the Department
of Psychology. Additionally, this KSAO was chosen because it is a desired
outcome of undergraduate education in the field of psychology. In
fact, Landrum et al. (2010) cites a study performed by Gardener (2007)
revealing that two of the top ten reasons that employees are
terminated are unethical behavior and mishandling technology.
This KSAO is both a criterion measure and a predictor. It serves
as a criterion in that it relates to the department objective and that the
assessment center has identified and measured this as an
important outcome that all undergraduates should possess. However, it also
serves as a predictor because ethical practice will likely decrease the
chances of dismissal or termination from a job due to unethical or
inappropriate behavior and misuse of technology. In this way, the use of
ethical behavior may instead relate to certain components of job success,
including higher performance evaluations, salary, and number of
promotions.
5.

Communication/Interpersonal Skills
This skill involves communicating and collaborating with coworkers,
administrators, and clients in an effective, appropriate, and productive
manner that will facilitate positive work environments and work
outcomes. This KSAO was chosen because it is an imperative skill for most
jobs; in that many organizations create teams to work on projects or host
meetings to collaborate on problems. In fact, numerous components of
this skill are listed under the top ten most important skills for psychology
graduates, including listening skills, teamwork capability, ability to work
well with others, customer- or client-centered focus, and interpersonal
skills (Landrum et. al, 2010). Employers in a different study listed three of
these componentslistening skills, ability to work well with others, and
teamwork capabilityin their top five list of most important skills to
employers (Landrum et. al, 2003), which further indicates the value of this
skill.
Finally, this KSAO can be classified as both a predictor and a criterion.
It is a criterion because it is related to effective communication and
teamwork ability, which is one of several skills that many programs try to
teach their graduates (Landrum et. al, 2010). That is, students should
currently exemplify this skill, and the assessment center is utilizing
several activities to determine the extent to which current education is

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facilitating the skill. It is also a predictor in that many organizations clearly
seek this skill, indicating that it is highly valued and likely crucial for job
performance and success. Therefore, those that possess this skill will
likely receive higher evaluations because they may be viewed more highly
and may form more positive relationships with supervisors, coworkers,
and clientsthus potentially augmenting job success, salary, and number
of promotions.
6.

7.

Multicultural Awareness
This particular KSAO involves sensitivity to and acceptance of diverse
populations, including different types of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual
orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and mental/physical abilities.
Those that possess this skill exhibit behaviors that are cognizant of these
variations and are open to expanding their knowledge and shifting their
views in lieu of additional information about new types of diversity. This
KSAO was chosen because cross-cultural competence appears to be
a major factor of successful workplace integration and productivity
(Milem, 2003), in addition to the fact that it is one of the major objectives
that the Psychology department continually strives to achieve. It is also
likely an important contributor to effective communication/interpersonal
skills in that it would allow for more appropriate and sensitive
interpersonal contact among coworkers and clients.
This KSAO is classified as both a criterion and a predictor. Multicultural
awareness relates to sensitivity to and support of population diversitya
skill that this assessment center is currently trying to measure in its
students. It is also clearly related to performance evaluations, which is a
life outcome that this assessment center is attempting to predict by
measuring this KSAO and others. That is, multicultural awareness better
enables positive, respectful, and productive relationships in the diverse
workplaces that exist today, which may influence ability to successfully
perform ones job and therefore would lead to higher performance
evaluations and other benefits.
Information Synthesis and Psychometric Skills
This skill involves the ability to gather and integrate copious amounts
of information, in addition to understanding and applying basic research
methods inpsychology such as research design, data analysis, and
interpretation. It also involves demonstrating information competence and
the ability to use computers and other technology for a multitude of
purposes. Technology use and research skills are important to have in the
workplace because most research requires analysis using different
technological methods, in addition to competence in amassing and
interpreting research results. This KSAO was selected because it is
considered an objective of the university's Psychology Department. Another

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reason it was chosen is because it is listed as a desirable outcome for
psychology graduates (Landrum et al., 2010).
This KSAO is both a criterion and a predictor. It is a criterion because it
relates to the Psychology Departments major objectives and because it
involves familiarity with psychological measurement techniques and
research/informational gathering processes, which has been identified and
measured by the assessment center in order to make predictions about life
outcomes. For this, the KSAO is also considered a predictor because
employers look for this skill in psychology graduates (Landrum et al., 2010),
meaning that students that possess this KSAO may be more highly valued
and more competent in their jobs. In turn, this may lead to higher
evaluations, thus facilitating job success and other positive life outcomes.

8.

Adaptability
This involves willingness and ability to hone current skills and to
acquire and successfully apply new ones. Those that possess this skill are
capable workers who can quickly evolve work styles and skills in lieu of
recent organizational or world shifts. More specifically, those with this KSAO
should be able to apply effective self-development strategies, thus allowing
them to remain productive by evolving in line with their companies and the
larger social context. This KSAO was selected because it has been identified
as a desirable outcome for psychology graduates by employers (Landrum et
al., 2010). More importantly, a recent survey recognized it as one of the top
five most important skills employers are looking for in potential employees
(Landrum et. al, 2003).
This KSAO is both a criterion and a predictor. It is a criterion because
the assessment center is directly measuring adaptability through several
tests, meaning that this KSAO is one criterion that is currently being
assessed in order to determine life outcomes. Adaptability is also a predictor
because it relates to what organizations look for in undergraduates (Landrum
et al., 2010) and is crucial if employees are to continue changing and
learning with their organization over time. Thus, the possession of this KSAO
is likely quite accurate in predicting life outcomes such as job success.

Assessment Center Layout and Specifications

General Layout
Most of the assessment center activities will be individual, although
some activities may require groups of 5 15 students. Each activity will be

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no more than 1 hour. Several raters will work on teams for scoring each
activity. These assessors will evaluate participants on a number of
performance dimensions and give feedback to participants during feedback
periods. There will be two feedback periods over the course of the
assessment center: one halfway through the assessment center, and one at
the end of the assessment center.
These feedback periods will last approximately two minutes per
participant. Students will briefly state their goal (see Facilitating Student
Motivation) and the evaluator will give feedback on their progress towards
meeting that goal. For multiple-choice activities, students will fill out their
student ID so that their results can be matched to the student during the
feedback periods. Tests will be taken on a computer, as this allows for more
instantaneous results. Online tests are also quicker, cheaper, and easier
methods to use and to update (Muchinsky, 2012). However, if this is not
feasible, a scantron will be accepted as it also allows for quick results that
can be used during feedback periods.
Activities and Criteria Measures
Overall, it should be noted that these specific activities were chosen with
the mindset that financial and time constraints limit the universitys ability to
implement certain activities during assessment day. Rather, this proposal
focuses on activities that can be dispensed to multiple students at once and
are not characterized by substantial time or financial requirements.

Questionnaire with Adaptability and Engagement Scales: this

activity will be split into three separate sections that will be scored
separately. Each student will be administered a range of questions (e.g.,
Likert-type scales, multiple choice) measuring the presence of identified
KSAOs, in addition to an Adaptability Scale and an Engagement Scale.
Both scales will consist of Likert-type statements ranging from 1 (strongly
disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), and students will rate their agreement
with each statement. While the Adaptability Scale will be more focused on
personality-centered statements (e.g., I adjust easily to new situations),
the Engagement Scale will focus on reactivity to university experiences
(e.g., this university has provided me with ample opportunity to apply
what I have learned). This particular task was chosen because it would
allow the assessment of multiple KSAOs in a single activity rather than
using multiple activities, which would also aid in our measurements of
construct validity. The inclusion of the Engagement Scale allows the
university to measure the level of overall engagement that
students experience during their education, and it will allow the university
to detect deficits in their program(s).
o Knowledge of Psychology and its Applications
o Knowledge of Ethical Guidelines and Practice
o Communication/Interpersonal Skills

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Multicultural Awareness
Information Synthesis and Psychometric Skills
Adaptability
Engagement
Deductive Logical Reasoning Test: students will be presented with
a series of situations during which they must identify a general rule or
principal in order to solve a novel problem. These tests are particularly
adept at measuring ability to formulate logical conclusions and
arguments, in addition to identifying flawed information. It is important to
measure these skills because problem-solving and critical-thinking skills,
as well as adaptability, are among the most sought-after in employers
(Landrum et al., 2010).
o Problem-Solving and Critical-Thinking Skills
o Information Synthesis and Psychometric Skills
o Adaptability
Behavioral Tendency Situational Judgment Test: students will be
administered a wide range of situations in which they must judge the
most appropriate ranking of five possible solutions, with #1 being the
most appropriate solution and #5 being the least appropriate
solution. This is a valuable task in that it measures behavioral patterns,
which may predict future (e.g., on-the-job) behavior (Muchinsky, 2012)
and, by extension, life outcomes related to job success. In addition, this
test may serve as a further measure of problem-solving and criticalthinking skills.
o Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills
o Knowledge of Ethical Guidelines and Practices
o Communication/Interpersonal Skills
o Multicultural Awareness
Case Study: small groups of students will be presented with
documents containing information about a specific problem or
dilemma. They must then hold a discussion to formulate the best plan of
action, which will lead into a written report and oral presentation that
justifies this plan of action. This activity provides the opportunity to
measure the efficacy of attempts to teach various KSAOs across the
major at the same time, as no two groups may receive the same case
study. For example, one group may address a problem related to ethical
reasoning, while another may formulate plans based on
research findings. It also provides opportunities to focus on KSAOs that
may have been difficult to measure through the previous activities, such
as communication and interpersonal skills, written and oral expression,
and information synthesis and psychometric skills.
o Critical-Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills
o Communication/Interpersonal Skills
o Adaptability (e.g., ability to adjust to others ways of thinking)
o Written and Oral Expression
o Knowledge of Psychology and its Applications
o
o
o
o

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o

Information Synthesis and Psychometric Skills

Determinants of Successful Students

Evaluators will utilize a number of multiple-cutoff methods to score

students. Student outcomes for the assessment center will be classified on a
pass/fail basis in lieu of the minimum grade for successful completion of
required classes for the Psychology major; students that score a C- (70%) or
above will pass and the rest will fail. While all outcomes will be
determined by number of points earned out of total possible points, some
activities will be scored by grading incorrect answers while others will use a
rubric specifying elements of successful answers and assigning different
point amounts to different levels of each element. However, it should also be
noted that this assessment center is a low-stakes test center, meaning that
whether or not students pass bears no impact on their participation in later
assessment center activities or on the outcome of their graduation.
Questionnaire with Adaptability and Engagement Scales
Regarding the overall questionnaire that is measuring KSAOs, students
will have to answer 70% of questions correctly. The correct answers will have
been previously determined by a panel of incumbents. The Engagement
Scale and the Adaptability Scale will be scored in a similar way in that
students must score adaptable (for the Adaptability Scale) or engaged
(for the Engagement Scale) on at least 70% of statements in both of these
sections. A student will be scored as adaptable or engaged for
a statement if s/he answers either agree (6) or strongly agree (7) on the
Likert-type scale.
Deductive Logical Reasoning Test
Students must score correctly on at least 70% of answers. The correct
answers for certain questions will be predetermined by a panel of
incumbents, if necessary.
Behavioral Tendency Situational Judgment Test
A successful student will pass at least 70% of questions in this
section. Students will fail the question if they rank the best possible
solution as #4 or #5 in their order, or else if they rank the worst possible
solution as #1 or #2 in their order.
Case Study
A point system will be used to determine student success for this
activity, and multiple evaluators will be present to ensure interrater
reliability. The number of points that a student accumulates out of the total
number of possible points must equal at least 70% to pass. Evaluators will
use a rubric containing elements of a successful student in this
activity (e.g., ability to defend plan against interrogation, quality

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of speech and tone, ability to collaborate with others, comfort with
informational organization/synthesis and/or psychometric techniques) as a
basis for passing judgment on students and/or their groups. This rubric will
have been formulated by a panel of incumbents. Each element will have
several levels, and a student will be assigned to one of those
levels depending on the degree to which s/he successfully expresses that
element. Additionally, each level will have lower and lower points assigned to
it. For example, a student that is deficient in his/her ability to work with
others will be assigned to a lower level of that element, and therefore s/he
will receive less points than a more proficient student assigned to a higher
level of that element.

Facilitating Student Motivation

A short speech to all student participants before the assessment
center commences will be tasked with creating motivation to perform well on
the activities. The speech will first explain the benefits of the assessment
center, such as the opportunity to identify areas that need improvement in
order to become more competitive for jobs and graduate schools. Most
importantly, this speech will task students to set a challenging, specific
personal learning goal that they would like to reach by the end of the
assessment center. For example, a student might wish to acquire at least one
or two new skills and be able to successfully apply them to new situations.
The key to this is ensuring that the goals are challenging enough to
provide motivation, but attainable in that students can feasibly reach them
rather than losing confidence in their capabilities. To further encourage this
goal-setting behavior, students will also be informed that they must know
these goals in order to accurately explain them to evaluators so that they
may receive relevant and concise feedback during feedback periods (for
more information on feedback, see General Layout within the section
Assessment Center Layout and Specifications).
This motivation set-up is in line with the goal-setting theory and the
self-regulation theory, as described by Muchinsky (2012). The goal-setting
theory argues that
motivation stems from desire and intention to attain a pre-set goal,
whereas the self-regulation theory maintains that people that set goals will
actively monitor their behavior and progress toward that goal. In the selfregulation theory, frequent feedback allows people to best reassess and
correct their efforts toward their goals (Muchinsky). This is why this center
incorporates frequent feedback. Additionally, regarding the presence of the
learning oriented goal-setting component, research shows that goal-setting
behaviors lead to improved performance over no goal-setting at all, although

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there is not exact explanation for why this is so, and that learning goal
orientations augment self-regulation tactics and performance (Muchinsky).

Evaluating Assessment Center Efficacy

Analyzing Validity
Validity for any test is important, as it determines the accuracy with
which the utilized criteria are predicting the outcomes (Muchinsky, 2012).
Several different methods will be harnessed in order to determine
assessment center validity. To measure criterion validity, for example, the
outcomes of the assessment center activities, which aim to measure a few
relevant KSAOs, will be correlated with grades of courses that also facilitate
competency in those KSAOs.
For instance, grades in undergraduate courses in psychology should be
related to the KSAO of psychological knowledge and ethical practice, and a
course that fulfills the sociocultural awareness requirement should be related
to the major outcome of multicultural awareness. Therefore, the outcomes
of assessment center activities related to these KSAOs (e.g., pass, fail)
should be associated with course outcomes (e.g., pass, fail). If a course
measuring a particular KSAO does not exist, the student will be subjected to
an established (e.g., validated) psychological test that measures that KSAO,
and that score will be correlated with relevant outcome(s).
The assessment center will use related activities and courses to
determine its construct validity. Regarding the assessment center itself,
multiple activities utilize different methods that measure the same or similar
KSAOs. By correlating the outcomes of these activities, evaluators can
determine the degree that activities measuring similar KSAOs converge and
the degree to which activities measuring different KSAOs diverge.
Additionally, evaluators can measure the difference in outcomes between
these activities and related courses (e.g., courses that also facilitate the
same or similar KSAOs) or unrelated courses. These correlations will
determine how accurately each activity measures these constructs in that
the scores of activities measuring similar KSAOs should be convergent while
the scores of activities measuring unrelated KSAOs should be divergent.
Finally, the scores of these activities should converge with the grades of
relevant courses and diverge from grades of unrelated courses.
The assessment center will be most interested in determining
predictive validity, as it is tasked with predicting the life outcomes of current
students based on their mastery of specific criteria. To determine predictive
validity, surveys will be mailed out five years after graduation. Two surveys
will be mailed out for each student participant; one for all student
participants and one for the organizations for which they are currently
employed. From the graduate, the survey will collect information on desired
outcomes such as salary increase/progress and workplace engagement. The

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survey sent to the graduates employer will be tasked with measuring job
performance through a general performance evaluation.
Using this information, a validity coefficient will be obtained by
correlating the overall assessment center outcome (e.g., pass/fail) with the
student's overall life outcome (e.g., positive, negative). All criteria that are
being used to measure life outcome (i.e., performance evaluation, salary
increase/progress, and engagement) must be deemed positive for the
overall life outcome to be deemed as such (for more information on
individual scoring of this criteria, see Life Outcomes for a Psychology Major
under the section Assessment Center Outcome Focuses and Measurement
Criteria).
Once the validity coefficient is established, the coefficient will
determine the degree to which the assessment center was successful with its
predictions. Scores that are equal to or above 0.3 are a desirable and
probable coefficient, while 1.0 represents perfect prediction (Muchinsky,
2012). For further information on determining what constitutes a positive
life outcome for each individual criterion, see Life Outcomes for a Psychology
Major under the section Assessment Center Outcome Focuses and
Measurement Criteria.
Finally, the base rate (e.g., the proportion of student participants that
are successfully performing their jobs, as was predicted; Muchinsky, 2012)
will also be measured as to indicate the predictive accuracy and if any
changes should be made. If the base rate is 100% (all student participants
are performing successfully, as predicted), then there is no need for changes
because the assessment center likely has 100% predictive accuracy.

Utilization of Assessment Center Results

There are several ways in which the collected data will be utilized.
Firstly, regarding assessment center criteria being currently measured, the
information should be used to identify curriculum deficits that might be
hindering learning outcomes. Another involves ensuring that program and
educational competencies and objectives are systematically and reliably tied
to assessments, thus assuring that they are empirically-supported as
effective. This is a current aim of James Madison University (Assessment
Day, n.d.).
However, with the added predictors of this assessment center,
collected data will also allow the university to identify and address deficits
that are negatively impacting job success of graduates. Thus, the outcomes
of this assessment center may be used to develop new classes and
experiences centered around factors found to be most helpful and
promotional for graduate school acceptance rates and job success.
The collected data may also be harnessed to progress research
regarding the influence of university education and experiences on the
necessary skills and competencies for job success, in addition to its relation
to workplace engagement and satisfaction. Finally, as the Commonwealth of

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Virginia mandates, the collected data will be utilized to demonstrate
successful, high-quality education for employers and potential students alike.
References
Assessment Day. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2016, from
https://www.jmu.edu/assessment/Students/aboutAday.shtml
Great Jobs, Great Lives: The 2014 Gallup-Purdue Index Report (pp. 1-22,
Rep.). (2014). Washington, D.C.: Gallup.
Landrum, R. E., Beins, B. C., Bhalla, M., Brakke, K., Briihl, D. S., CurlLangager, R. M., . . . Kirk, J. J. (2010). Desired outcomes of an
undergraduate education in psychology from departmental, student,
and societal perspectives. Undergraduate Education in Psychology: A
Blueprint for the Future of the Discipline, 145-160. doi:10.1037/12063009
Milem, J.F. (2003). The educational benefits of diversity evidence from
multiple sectors. In D. Chang, J. Jones, & K. Hakuta (Eds.), Compelling
Interest: Examining the Evidence on Racial Dynamics in Higher
Education. Palo Alto, CA. Stanford University Press.
Muchinsky, P. M. (2012). Psychology Applied to Work (10th ed.). Summerfield, NC:
Hypergraphic Press.
R. Eric Landrum, Renee Harrold, Gerald Schaeffer, Kim Epting, Tracy Zinn,
William Buskist, Monica A. Wallace, Robert L. Williams, Sherri B.
Lantinga, Angela Kroez Visser, Jane Marantz Connor, Richard A. Griggs,

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Cynthia L. S. Pury, Emmanuel Akillas & Linda M. Isbell (2003): Faculty
Forum, Teaching of Psychology, 30:2, 131-153