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Assessment and development centers: judgment biases and risks of using idiographic and nomothetic approaches to collecting information on people to be evaluated and trained in organizations

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  • Riccardo Sartori
  • Andrea Ceschi

Abstract

Assessment center and development center are two procedures that organizations can use in order to evaluate and train people. They make use of different methods and techniques, some (i.e. interviews) descending from the so called idiographic (or clinical) approach, and some (i.e. standardized instruments) descending from the so called nomothetic (or psychometric) approach. The idea is that different methods and techniques allow assessors and decision makers to collect as much information as possible, in order to come to an integrated judgment of people to be evaluated. Regarding this idea, psychological research has already discovered that it is not the amount of information collected that makes the difference between expert and non-expert assessors and decision makers. Besides, too much information is difficult to manage; and while it increases the confidence of assessors and decision makers about their judgments, it unfortunately does not increase their accuracy as well, since relevant information is mixed with irrelevant one and this makes it difficult to decide which one to consider and which one not. So, the article wants to be a critical review of what psychological science has found, and not so recently, in the field of assessment and development of psychological characteristics, in terms of risks and biases. Finally, it wants to underline the fact that, in spite of risks and biases, nowadays different methods and techniques are actually used to assess one person’s psychological characteristics, which is certainly questionable but also methodologically appropriate if they are appropriately used. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Riccardo Sartori & Andrea Ceschi, 2013. "Assessment and development centers: judgment biases and risks of using idiographic and nomothetic approaches to collecting information on people to be evaluated and trained in organizations," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 3277-3288, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:47:y:2013:i:6:p:3277-3288
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-012-9718-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Riccardo Sartori & Andrea Ceschi, 2011. "Uncertainty and its perception: experimental study of the numeric expression of uncertainty in two decisional contexts," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 187-198, January.
    2. Reilly, Barbara A. & Doherty, Michael E., 1989. "A note on the assessment of self-insight in judgment research," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 123-131, August.
    3. Riccardo Sartori, 2010. "Face validity in personality tests: psychometric instruments and projective techniques in comparison," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 749-759, June.
    4. Shanteau, James & Stewart, Thomas R., 1992. "Why study expert decision making? Some historical perspectives and comments," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 95-106, November.
    5. Schalock, Robert L., 1994. "Quality of life, quality enhancement, and quality assurance: Implications for program planning and evaluation in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 121-131.
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    Cited by:

    1. Riccardo Sartori & Andrea Ceschi & Serena Cubico & Giuseppe Favretto, 2014. "Quality and quantity in the construction and validation of a psychological test for the assessment and selection of aspiring volunteer rescuers: the action-research in an Italian health association," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 48(6), pages 3037-3051, November.
    2. Riccardo Sartori & Arianna Costantini & Andrea Ceschi & Andrea Scalco, 2017. "Not only correlations: a different approach for investigating the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and job performance based on workers and employees’ perception," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(6), pages 2507-2519, November.

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