Authors
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
A utilização de provas de avaliação psicológica num processo de selecção, especialmente
as que avaliam capacidades cognitivas, é unanimemente considerada, na literatura de investigação,
como fundamental, dada a sua elevada validade preditiva no que concerne ao desempenho.
A constatação de que, em 2008, num processo de selecção de estagiários para funções
técnicas, esse instrumento não foi utilizado, aliada ao facto dos indivíduos seleccionados
permanecerem na Empresa, durante um ano e serem sujeitos a um processo de avaliação de
desempenho, criou as condições para os mesmos serem objecto do estudo, a que se propõe esta
tese: demonstrar qual a capacidade preditiva da aplicação de provas de avaliação psicológica a esta
população.
Foi, assim, efectuado esse exercício, suportado nos princípios teóricos existentes sobre
esta matéria, quer no que se refere ao método de abordagem da questão, quer aos preditores
usados.
A componente empírica deste trabalho resultou de dados reais recolhidos para uma
população de 130 indivíduos.
Toda a informação recolhida foi sujeita a tratamento estatístico e não foi encontrada
qualquer correlação entre os resultados dos testes e a avaliação de desempenho, o que conduziu à
necessidade de analisar os pressupostos com que trabalhámos e encontrar explicações para este
resultado, aparentemente contraditório.
A fragilidade real existente na variável critério e as condições em que foram recolhidos os
dados das variáveis preditoras, explicam o resultado obtido e reforçam a necessidade de
melhorias no processo, não estando de qualquer forma posta em causa, a importância de manter
testes de avaliação psicológica nos processos de selecção.
ABSTRACT: The use of psychological testing, during the process of recruitment and selection, namely those used to evaluate cognitive functions is considered, throughout the literature as essential, given its predictive validity concerning performance. Having found that in 2008, this type of testing had been neglected during the process of selecting new interns for technical jobs, and that, these interns were still employees at this company and were being subject to a performance evaluation, they were found to be ideal candidates for the present study: to demonstrate the predictive capabilities of psychological testing on this population. This was the purpose behind this study, and its approach was based on the theoretical principles found on the subject, principles that also modeled the choice of predictors. The empirical part of this study is based in real data, gathered from a population of 130 subjects. All the available data was subject to statistical treatment, and no correlation was found between testing results and performance evaluation results, which lead to the need to return to the theoretical assumptions behind this study, in an attempt to better understand and explain our results, at first glance, contrary to what was found in the literature. The fact that the variable “criteria” is inherently a fragile one, accompanied by the nonoptimal information gathering conditions concerning predictors, seem to explain the present results, whilst also calling attention to the need to improve this process, without, however, at any point, questioning the role psychological testing should play, during recruitment and selection processes.
ABSTRACT: The use of psychological testing, during the process of recruitment and selection, namely those used to evaluate cognitive functions is considered, throughout the literature as essential, given its predictive validity concerning performance. Having found that in 2008, this type of testing had been neglected during the process of selecting new interns for technical jobs, and that, these interns were still employees at this company and were being subject to a performance evaluation, they were found to be ideal candidates for the present study: to demonstrate the predictive capabilities of psychological testing on this population. This was the purpose behind this study, and its approach was based on the theoretical principles found on the subject, principles that also modeled the choice of predictors. The empirical part of this study is based in real data, gathered from a population of 130 subjects. All the available data was subject to statistical treatment, and no correlation was found between testing results and performance evaluation results, which lead to the need to return to the theoretical assumptions behind this study, in an attempt to better understand and explain our results, at first glance, contrary to what was found in the literature. The fact that the variable “criteria” is inherently a fragile one, accompanied by the nonoptimal information gathering conditions concerning predictors, seem to explain the present results, whilst also calling attention to the need to improve this process, without, however, at any point, questioning the role psychological testing should play, during recruitment and selection processes.
Description
Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário
Keywords
Selecção de pessoal Testes de selecção Validação Predição Personnel selection Selection testing Validityive Predict capabilities