Performance Tests
Various psychometric devices should also be available to a consultant and client. Performance tests can be used to determine relative levels of achievement in a specific area, as well as attitudes. In regard to achievement, the problems associated with a particular project often can be understood better if participants are given one or more tests to establish their current level of competency. The tests that are given need not influence the employee’s performance appraisal, but instead can be presented as a diagnostic test or as a measure of program effectiveness.
As a measure of attitude, a performance test enables a consultant and client to skirt the difficult process of directly inquiring about another person’s attitudes. One might assess an employee’s attitude about the company data base by asking him or her where the online catalogue is located — an indicator of the respondent’s familiarity with the data base—rather than by asking if the person supports the data base or asking how often he visits it. The respondent may be inclined to express a more positive attitude about the data base than he actually feels or overestimate the number of visits/uses made, but it will be difficult to distort or disguise knowledge (or ignorance) of its location and, for example, its sections. Of course, one must assume that people are most knowledgeable about things they value highly. There is ample evidence in support of this assumption.
Questionnaires
A second psychometric device, the questionnaire, is used by consultants almost as frequently as interviews. Sometimes the consultant, in cooperation with the client, will design and distribute a questionnaire that specifically focuses on the convening problem or need. At other times, a standard questionnaire is used to cut down on design time or to compare one institution or program with others. A questionnaire can take many different forms: multiple choice, checklist, true-false, matching, scalar, short answer, or open ended.
In recent years, situational-descriptive questionnaires have been popular. The respondent is presented with a specific description of a situation and asked to indicate which of several responses he is most likely to make. Used in this way, the questionnaire becomes a measure of personal attitude or competence. Respondents also can be asked to predict how they think a certain group of people will respond. Used in this way, the questionnaire reveals the respondent’s perceptions of the particular group. The respondent is not being asked to evaluate the group’s probable response, but only to predict what it will be.
