Incremental Validity of Enhanced Computer Administered Testing (ECAT)
Abstract
The Enhanced Computer Administered Testing (ECAT) project was a joint-service effort to estimate the potential increase in validity that could be obtained by adding new computerized tests to the current Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Over 10,000 recruits were tested with nine experimental computerized tests of working memory, spatial ability, and psychomotor ability. Data on the examinees' subsequent technical school performance for three Army, two Air force, and 13 Navy schools were collected, measuring laboratory, shop, training simulator and other tests of hands-on performance as well as school grades. The corrected multiple correlation of all ten ASVAB tests with each criterion was compared with the multiple correlation from the ECAT added to the predictor set. Results showed very large increases in validity (exceeding .10) for prediction of Air Force and Navy Air Traffic Control performance using Working Memory and Spatial tests, and even larger increases for the Army's 11H Heavy Antiarmor Weapons Crewman time-on-target averages, using psychomotor and spatial tests. Other schools, where ASVAB's validity was already high, did not show higher validity when ECAT tests were added. Averaged over all schools, validity for predicting schools' grades increased two percent, and validity for predicting performance increased nearly six percent.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA307708
Entities
People
- David L. Alderton
- Gerald E. Larson
- Janet D. Held
- John H. Wolfe