How Honesty Testing Works

by Michael H. Capps, John Miner

Overview

With the demise of the polygraph following the passage of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, honesty testing has come to be seen as an alternative approach. But it has become the subject of considerable controversy, some legal enactments, a barrage of union opposition, and a great deal of employer interest. Miner and Capps provide an understanding and the tools necessary to help human resource managers make decisions regarding the use of honesty testing. Generic types of testing instruments are assessed; the writing is straightforward, with all statistical and mathematical concepts presented with sufficient detailed explanation for those without technical training.

The employers' need to protect their organizations and reduce the potential for theft and white-collar crime versus the individual's right to privacy are polarized issues in discussing the use of honesty testing. The authors deal with the restrictions imposed by the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991 and show that certain features of test scoring were directly influenced by legal considerations. The authors then extend the discussion to the Americans with Disabilities Act and how this enactment affects honesty testing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780899309804
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/21/1996
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	1360L (what's this?)

About the Author

JOHN B. MINER is a consultant and expert witness in the area of psychological testing. He is the author of numerous books and jourbanal articles on industrial relations, applied psychology, and entrepreneurship.

MICHAEL H. CAPPS is the Director of the U.S. Department of Defense Polygraph Institute and previously served as president of a psychological testing firm.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Why Honesty Tests Have Become So Popular
What Are the Alternatives to Honesty Testing?
Do Honesty Tests Really Measure Honesty?
The Storm of Controversy: Validity as Assessed by Reviewers
Assessing Honesty Tests: Reliability of Measurement, Question Characteristics, Test Dimensions, Applicant Reactions, and Fakability
Using Honesty Tests: Establishing Cutting Scores, Dealing with the False Positive Problem, Training Users, and Identifying Barriers to Testing
Honesty Testing and the Law: Employment Discrimination
Honesty Testing and the Law: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Privacy Considerations: Legal and Otherwise
Selling Honesty Tests
The Future of Honesty Testing
Appendix: Development and Validation of an Honesty Test
Bibliography
Name Index
Subject Index

Editorial Reviews

Explains to employers how to use the Honesty Testing approach to weeding out potential thieves from job candidates, in the face of opposition from the same forces for individual rights that brought about the demise of polygraphs for that purpose. Discusses benefits, alternatives, reliability, establishing cutting scores, employment discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act, legal and other privacy considerations, and selling the tests. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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