Validity of the Officer Qualification Test for Minority Group Applicants to Officer Candidate School.
Abstract
The objective of the study was to investigate the possible bias of the Officer Qualification Test (OQT) against minority applicants to Officer Candidate School. Comparisons made between the average criterion score (OCS Final Grade) of Negroes and Caucasians when matched on the predictor variable (OQT) resulted in a significantly lower average for Negro graduates of predominantly Negro colleges, whereas Negro graduates of Caucasian colleges did not differ significantly from the Caucasians with which they were matched. Results arising from matching on OQT may be spurious, however, and limitations are offered to assist in their interpretation. Comparison of the entire Negro sample with an independent sample of Caucasian OCS graduates (N=1,072) resulted in an OQT mean for Negroes ten points (scale of Navy Standard Scores) below that of Caucasians while on a four point scale the average OCS final grade was 2.9755 versus 3.1018 for Caucasians. Validity coefficients for predicting OCS final grade from OQT ranged from .25 to .33 for Negroes as compared to a range of .23 to .53 for Caucasians. The coefficients observed for Negroes through lower were not viewed as indicating presence of bias. Application of the regression equation for the independent sample of Caucasians to Negro OQT scores, however, resulted in basically the same predicted OCS final grades as those actually attained. Recommendations were provided for interpretation of OQT scores for future minority applicants to OCS. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0721116
Entities
People
- P. P. Foley