What Would You Do? The Use of Situational Judgment Tests in Organizational Selection

Reviews the book, Situational Judgment Tests: Theory, Measurement, and Application by Jeff A. Weekley and Robert E. Ployhart (see record 2006-00547-000). Although it is not a new idea (these tests have been in use for over 80 years), situational judgment testing has been increasingly capturing the attention of industrial-organizational psychologists. The text, Situational Judgment Tests: Theory, Measurement, and Application, presents a collection of 16 chapters addressing current issues and trends in this area. The organization of the book follows the title by focusing on topics related to theory, item construction and analysis, and use. Overall, this book provides an outstanding introduction and overview of situational judgment testing. The articles in this volume are accessible to a wide audience, given some background in basic psychometrics and an interest in selection processes. The collection of chapters provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the field. The general theme uniting this book is that situational judgment tests (SJT) is a promising area that has the potential to greatly enhance employers' ability to select qualified candidates for specific jobs. However, there are many unanswered questions, making this an area ripe for continued research and growth. The reviewer can imagine using this text, or at least several readings from it, in classes ranging from industrial-organizational psychology to tests and measurements. Most of the readings would be accessible to upper level undergraduates. The reviewer would also recommend it to any graduate student in industrial-organizational psychology who is looking for ideas for research projects. Although this is an important book, it is the type of book that one hopes becomes outdated soon. As more researchers test the ideas behind SJTs, more of the issues and concerns raised in this book should become better understood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)