Eagle is a human resources coordinator for a large firm dealing with a range of products. She needs to immediately hire an employee high in reasoning ability, but the only tests she has available test for quantitative and verbal abilities. What can she do when she administers the test to Pablo, and he scores very well on both of them?
- ignore the results because all three areas are completely unrelated
- pass up Pablo because verbal ability is inverse to reasoning ability
- calculate Pablo's likely reasoning ability score as 60 percent of his verbal score
- repeat the test because it is impossible to score high on both math and verbal ability
- hire Pablo because people tend to score similarly across all types of cognitive ability
Cognitive ability refers to capabilities related to the acquisition and application of knowledge in problem solving. Cognitive abilities are very relevant in jobs involving decision making and problem solving. Maybe you think of yourself as being smart in verbal abilities but not as smart in quantitative abilities. In fact, most people score more similarly across their cognitive abilities than they realize. People who are higher than average on verbal abilities also tend to be higher than average on reasoning, quantitative, spatial, and perceptual abilities, and people who are lower than average on verbal abilities tend to be lower than average on the other abilities.
Reasoning Ability: A diverse set of abilities associated with sensing and solving problems using insight, rules, and logic.
Which of the following scenarios demonstrates general cognitive ability?
- Sharon has the ability to sense when other people are beginning to become frustrated before they realize it.
- Alice scored well above average on the verbal, quantitative, and reasoning segments of a test.
- Jen scores poorly on a test because her parents yelled at her the previous night.
- Rylee does great in math, but she has difficulty reading and writing.
- Emmi excels at playing four completely different sports.
The most popular explanation for the consistency in the levels of different cognitive abilities within people is that there is a general cognitive ability-sometimes called the g-factor or simply g-that underlies or causes all of the more specific cognitive abilities.
General Cognitive Ability: Capabilities related to the use of knowledge to make decisions and solve problems.
Which of the following people described below has a high degree of reasoning ability?
- Wanda is an accountant who can make mathematical calculations rapidly.
- Barry is a judge who uses laws and rules to guide him in making decisions.
- Roe is a backhoe operator who can shave a thin layer of dirt that is perfectly level.
- Steve is a carpenter who can imagine what a room will look like before he builds it.
- Drake is a language arts teacher who writes very descriptive poetry with vivid imagery.
Judges need to have strong deductive reasoning abilities because their job involves the consideration of facts in light of existing rules of law to reach verdicts.
Reasoning Ability: A diverse set of abilities associated with sensing and solving problems using insight, rules, and logic.
Cognitive abilities are related to the
- capacity to manipulate and control objects.
- appraisal and recognition of emotion in others.
- acquisition and application of knowledge in problem solving.
- degree to which people can harness emotions and use them to succeed.
- ability to perceive colors and judge relative distances between things accurately.
Cognitive ability refers to capabilities related to the acquisition and application of knowledge in problem solving. Cognitive abilities are very relevant in jobs involving decision making and problem solving.
Cognitive Abilities: Capabilities related to the use of knowledge to make decisions and solve problems.
Ollie is taking the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), which is an evaluation of the literacy and writing skills required for academic success in college. The SAT is testing Ollie's ________ ability.
- emotional
- cognitive
- physical
- coping
- social
The Scholastic Assessment Test includes different types of questions reflecting the several specific types of cognitive ability that contribute to effectiveness on intellectual tasks.
Cognitive Coping: Thoughts used to deal with a stressful situation.
Provided their employers followed the recommended guidelines, which of the following people had to earn the highest Wonderlic score to earn his or her job?
- Kelsey, a mechanical engineer
- Milton, a machine operator
- Bartholomew, a firefighter
- Woodrow, an attorney
- Dani, a cashier
The suggested minimum Wonderlic score for a mechanical engineer is 30, which is higher than any of the other occupations listed above.
Scores on cognitive ability tests have a strong negative correlation with measures of performance across different types of jobs.
Scores on cognitive ability tests have a strong positive correlation with measures of performance across different types of jobs.
Ability: Relatively stable capabilities of people for performing a particular range of related activities.
Researchers recognize ________ types of cognitive ability.
- 5
- 12
- 4
- 6
- 10
There are five generally recognized types of cognitive abilities: verbal, quantitative, reasoning, spatial, and perceptual.
General Cognitive Ability: Capabilities related to the use of knowledge to make decisions and solve problems.
People with higher IQ tend to be healthier and economically better off and tend to feel happier and more satisfied with their lives.
Researchers have shown that individuals with higher IQ tend to be healthier and economically better off and tend to feel happier and more satisfied with their lives.
Trust: The willingness to be vulnerable to an authority based on positive expectations about the authority’s actions and intentions.
Malnutrition, exposure to toxins such as lead, and prenatal exposure to alcohol are some risk factors related to low cognitive abilities.
Certain biological factors are known to affect cognitive abilities negatively during childhood. Examples include malnutrition, exposure to toxins such as lead, and prenatal exposure to alcohol.
Cognitive Abilities: Capabilities related to the use of knowledge to make decisions and solve problems.
Differences in cognitive abilities due to the environment become more apparent as people get older.
Differences in cognitive abilities due to the environment become less apparent as people get older, and this may be especially True for the effect of the family environment.
Cognitive Abilities: Capabilities related to the use of knowledge to make decisions and solve problems.
Spatial ability refers to the ability to develop clever and novel ways to solve problems.
Originality refers to the ability to develop clever and novel ways to solve problems.
Spatial Ability: Capabilities associated with visual and mental representation and manipulation of objects in space.
Anesthesiology is an area in which professionals require a great degree of problem sensitivity.
Anesthesiology is a great example of a job for which problem sensitivity is crucial.
Trust: The willingness to be vulnerable to an authority based on positive expectations about the authority’s actions and intentions.
Quantitative ability includes the mathematical capabilities of number facility and mathematical reasoning.
Quantitative ability refers to the mathematical capabilities of number facility and mathematical reasoning.
Quantitative Ability: Capabilities associated with doing basic mathematical operations and selecting and applying formulas to solve mathematical problems.
Cognitive ability tends to be equally correlated with citizenship behavior and task performance.
Cognitive ability tends to be more strongly correlated with task performance than with citizenship behavior or counterproductive behavior.
Citizenship Behavior: Voluntary employee behaviors that contribute to organizational goals by improving the context in which work takes place.
Verbal and spatial abilities come under the general category of ________ abilities.
- cognitive
- emotional
- physical
- sensory
- psychomotor
Verbal and spatial abilities are types of cognitive abilities.
Cognitive Coping: Thoughts used to deal with a stressful situation.
Which of the following cognitive abilities is especially important for a range of professions like pilots, drivers, boat captains, and photographers?
- reasoning ability
- quantitative ability
- spatial ability
- verbal ability
- affective ability
Spatial ability or capabilities associated with visual and mental representation and manipulation of objects in space is important for professions like pilots, drivers, boat captains, and photographers.
Spatial Ability: Capabilities associated with visual and mental representation and manipulation of objects in space.
Oral and written expressions are associated with ________ ability.
- quantitative
- sensory
- verbal
- spatial
- perceptual
Oral expression refers to the ability to communicate ideas by speaking and written expression refers to the ability to communicate ideas in writing; they represent verbal abilities.
Verbal Ability: Various capabilities associated with understanding and expressing oral and written communication.
Fran wants to hire a diverse group of capable people to work at her fitness studios. Unfortunately, when she administers cognitive ability tests, many people from the groups she wants to include do not score well. What should Fran do to meet her goals?
- ignore the test results because they are biased and under predict job performance for disadvantaged groups
- deemphasize the cognitive ability tests and train workers in the cognitive skills required by the job
- hold off opening her studios until she finds enough people from these groups who do score well
- make sure to scrap the battery of tests and only use one general cognitive ability test
- allow people in these groups to cheat so they can earn the scores she is looking for
Although these tests are not technically biased because they do not underpredict the job performance of disadvantaged groups, they should be used cautiously, especially in situations in which a diverse workforce is desired. One way of accomplishing this is to use a combination of hiring tests. In addition to, or instead of, a test of general cognitive ability, a company could use a battery of tests that measure narrower cognitive abilities and noncognitive traits such as emotional intelligence and personality. It may also be possible that organizations could deemphasize cognitive ability when hiring, and instead, train employees in the cognitive skills needed for the job.
Ability: Relatively stable capabilities of people for performing a particular range of related activities.
Which of the following is one of the most widely used cognitive ability tests?
- Wonderlic Personnel Test
- Keirsey Temperament Sorter
- Woodworth Personal Data Sheet
- NEO Five-factor Inventory
- Myers-Briggs Type Inventory
The Wonderlic Personnel Test is a 12-minute test of general cognitive ability that consists of 50 questions.
Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test: A 12-minute test of general cognitive ability used to hire job applicants.