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During most of the 20th century, the role of
general cognitive ability g for predicting future learning and
job-performance has been hotly disputed. Increasingly researchers are
reaching the consensus: For hiring employees without previous
job-experience, the most valid predictor of future performance and learning
is general mental ability. This conclusion emphasizes the importance and
usefulness of well constructed measures of general ability.
This project proposed and evaluated two new
methods for improving the measurement precision of a general test factor.
One new method provides a multidimensional item response theory estimate
obtained from conventional administrations of multiple-choice test items
that span general and nuisance dimensions. The other method chooses items
adaptively to maximize the precision of the general ability score. Both
methods display substantial increases in precision over alternative item
selection and scoring procedures. Results suggest that the use of these new
testing methods may significantly enhance the prediction of learning and
performance in instances where standardized tests are currently used. |
