Game-Based Assessments of Cognitive Ability: Validity and Effects on Adverse Impact through Perceived Stereotype Threat, Test-Taking Motivation and Anxiety

Games offer an innovative new method for assessing cognitive ability. We hypothesize that game-based assessments correlate with traditional assessments of cognitive ability, and exhibit smaller racial differences in performance. We integrate perceived stereotype threat, test-taking motivation, and anxiety to explain how games might reduce racial differences in performance. In a mock selection situation, participants applied for a job by completing game-based and traditional assessments. Results showed that game-based assessments were positively correlated with traditional assessments (r = .35-.50), and exhibited smaller racial differences than one of the traditional assessments. We found that perceived stereotype threat mediated the race-performance relationship and that game-based assessments were associated with higher test-taking motivation and lower anxiety than some of the traditional assessments; however, our proposed mechanisms did not account for the reduction in racial differences on the game-based assessments. We recommend further investigation into the validity of game-based assessments for selection.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Gödöllei Lappalainen, Anna Fanni

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Griep, Yannick

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Bourdage, Joshua
• O'Neill, Thomas
• Thomas, Melanee

• Psychology--Industrial

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/26255

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:11023/4127