Criterion‐Related Validity of Dutch Police‐Selection Measures and Differences Between Ethnic Groups

Abstract

This study investigated the criterion-related validity of cognitive ability as well as non-cognitive ability measures and differences between ethnic majority (N ¼ 2365) and minority applicants (N ¼ 682) in Dutch police officer selection. Findings confirmed the relatively low predictive validity of cognitive ability generally found for police jobs. Previous research reported no differential prediction. The present study, however, found small but systematic evidence for differences in validity for the ethnic majority and minority group of both cognitive and non-cognitive measures. For the minority group, training performance appeared to be mainly predicted by the cognitive ability test. For the majority group, cognitive ability showed very little predictive power. Non-cognitive ability variables appeared to be somewhat more predictive in this group.

Alternative Predictors for Dealing with the Diversity–Validity Dilemma in Personnel Selection: The constructed response multimedia test

“…a Based on Ployhart and Holtz () unless stated differently. b Based on De Meijer, Born, Terlouw, and Van der Molen (). c Based on Te Nijenhuis, De Jong, Evers, and Van Der Flier ().…”

“…Future research is needed to expand the present findings. Additionally, the ethnic minority sample is characterized by its heterogeneous nature regarding ethnic background, which is common in European settings (i.e., De Meijer, Born, Terlouw, & Van der Molen, ). Although the current study already provides a first important overview among subgroup differences between native Dutch and immigrant applicants, the ethnic minority sample was rather small in order to differentiate among ethnic groups.…”

Strategies for dealing with the diversity-validity dilemma in personnel selection: Where are we and where should we go?

“…Second, as the current research on ethnic subgroup differences has mainly focused on Black-White performance discrepancies, it is imperative to expand this domain with European research findings and to compare ethnic subgroup differences in American and European settings (e.g., Hanges & Feinberg, 2009;Ruggs et al, 2013; for exceptions in European contexts: De Meijer et al, 2006;De Meijer, Born, Terlouw, & van der Molen, 2008;Ones & Anderson, 2002).…”

Immigrant groups, vocational training, and employment

“…While still much work needs to be done in relation to construct validity, a widely accepted position is that predictive validity is the same, or practically the same, for different cultural groups in Europe (e.g. Nijenhuis and Flier, 1997; Salgado et al , 2003; Meijer et al , 2008). In a study examining the relation between the stratum III‐factor g and the stratum II‐factor G f in Swedish groups with different cultural backgrounds Valentin Kvist and Gustafsson (2008) could demonstrate that these two factors are perfectly correlated in groups with similar migrational background as defined by geographical area of education.…”