Refinements in validity generalization methods: Implications for the situational specificity hypothesis.

Using a large database, this study examined three refinements of validity generalization procedures: (a) a more accurate procedure for correcting the residual SD for range restriction to estimate SDP, (b) use of f instead of study-observed rs in the formula for sampling error variance, and (c) removal of non-Pearson rs. The first procedure does not affect the amount of variance accounted for by artifacts. The addition of the second and third procedures increased the mean percentage of validity variance accounted for by artifacts from 70% to 82%, a 17% increase. The cumulative addition of all three procedures decreased the mean SDf estimate from .150 to .106, a 29% decrease. Six additional variance-producing artifacts were identified that could not be corrected for. In light of these, we concluded that the obtained estimates of mean SDP and mean validity variance accounted for were consistent with the hypothesis that the true mean SDP value is close to zero. These findings provide further evidence against the situational specificity hypothesis. The first published validity generalization research study (Schmidt Schmidt, Gast-Rosenberg, Schmidt, Hunter, Pearlman, Schmidt et al., 1979). The conclusion that the validity of cognitive abilities tests in employment is generalizable is now widely accepted (e.g., see