Faking It
As I/O psychologists we are extremely reliant on the accuracy of the data that is presented to us. Decisions are made on the basis that what is presented is indeed factual and accurate. But how much data is ever cross-examined? How much ‘faith’ can we put in data that is
The Social Implications If Traits Exist
In a previous post, I presented arguments for whether traits do exist at all. The leading proponent of this is the likes of Bob Hogan and the idea that personality tests assess attributes one ascribes to oneself. In a conversation on this topic with an academic from New Zealand, I
I/O Psychology Needs to Grow Up
In line with a common thread through my blogs, I draw into question the notion that I/O psychology is indeed a science, let alone a pure science. The tag of a science is, in my opinion, a hindrance to our discipline’s progress. A selection of links to an I/O forum,
Studies You Should Know: The Curvilinear Relationship of Personality Traits & Job Performance
Le, H., Oh, I-S., Robbins, S.B., Ilies, R., Holland, E., & Westrick, P. (2011). Too much of a good thing: Curvilinear relationships between personality traits and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96, 1, 113-133. Abstract The relationships between personality traits and performance are often assumed to be linear. This
Is Meta-Analysis All it is Cracked Up to Be?
As a student of psychology, I was taught that meta-analysis exceeded all other forms of research. However, his view has been brought into question by a series of papers such as: Hennekens, C.H., & DeMets, D. (2009). The need for large-scale randomized evidence without undue emphasis on small trials, meta-analyses,
What Is Stopping The Changes Coming About: The Trouble With I/O
In response to my previous posts, people have asked what I see as the issues that are currently being faced by the I/O psychology discipline. I would say there are three interconnected issues that affect our discipline. The first two are internal and the second is external. My belief is
Response Style Indicators And The Concept Of Integrity
Two recent papers have questioned the assumption that validity scales in personality testing, such as social desirability, address inherent problems of self-report data. The argument is that the inclusion of a response bias indicator somehow provides a litmus test of the validity of a personality report. But like many assumptions
The Big Business of Psychology
Many people are unaware of the big business that is now Organisational Psychology. I have long argued when reporting the myths of psychology that one of the great myths is that it is a discipline driven by science. The reality, however, is that it is a discipline often underpinned by
Cognitive Science Can Be Career Damaging
I have argued that the identification of a casual and biological link between personality and behaviour has ramifications for society. I have also noted how difficult it is for people to deal with any degree of determinism in the psychological sciences. As most I/O Psychologists know, cognitive ability is one
Hawthorne Effect (Being Watched May Not Effect Behaviour At All)
For those that don’t know the Economist is a fantastic newspaper. Not limited to economic news the Economist provides a synopsis across many disciplines of current topic research and findings. Often there is a section on Psychology and as a tribute to the Economist in my few short blogs, I