Does understanding what a test measures make a difference? On the relevance of the ability to identify criteria for situational judgment test performance

Abstract

Situational judgment tests (SJTs) are low-fidelity simulations that are often used in personnel selection. Previous research has provided evidence that the ability to identify criteria (ATIC)—individuals' capability to detect underlying constructs in nontransparent personnel selection procedures—is relevant in simulations in personnel selection, such as assessment centers and situational interviews. Building on recent theorizing about response processes in SJTs as well as on previous empirical results, we posit that ATIC predicts SJT performance. We tested this hypothesis across two preregistered studies. In Study 1, a between-subjects planned-missingness design (N = 391 panelists) was employed and 55 selected items from five different SJTs were administered. Mixed-effects-modeling revealed a small effect for ATIC in predicting SJT responses. Results were replicated in Study 2 (N = 491 panelists), in which a complete teamwork SJT was administered with a high- or a low-stakes instruction and showed either no or a small correlation with ATIC, respectively. We compare these findings with other studies, discuss implications for our understanding of response processes in SJTs, and derive avenues for future research.