Ethical Issues Related to Psychological Testing in Africa: What I Have Learned (So Far)

This article attempts to introduce readers to what I have learned regarding ethical issues in psychological testing in Africa. The core ethical consideration of how to best cater for cultural and linguistic diversity so as to be sensitive to test-takers\u27 cultural backgrounds and values during the testing process is highlighted. Thereafter, specific issues to consider and address before using tests in an assessment or research context are presented. This is followed by a discussion on the ethical issues that an assessment practitioner needs to deal with during and after testing. Throughout, examples relevant to the multicultural African context are provided to illustrate specific ethical issues

Development and validation of a managerial decision making self-efficacy questionnaire

Orientation: Self-efficacy beliefs, given their task-specific nature, are likely to influence managers’ perceived decision-making competence depending on fluctuations in their nature and strength as non-ability contributors. Research purpose: The present research describes the conceptualisation, design and measurement of managerial decision-making self-efficacy. Motivation for the study: The absence of a domain-specific measure of the decision-making self-efficacy of managers was the motivation for the development of the Managerial Decisionmaking Self-efficacy Questionnaire (MDMSEQ). Research approach, design and method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a nonprobability convenience sample of managers from various organisations in South Africa. Statistical analysis focused on the construct validity and reliability of items through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to test the factorial validity of the measure. Main findings: The research offers confirmatory validation of the factorial structure of the MDMSEQ. The results of two studies involving 455 (Study 1, n = 193; Study 2, n = 292) experienced managers evidenced a multidimensional structure and demonstrated respectable subscale internal consistencies. Findings also demonstrated that the MDMSEQ shared little common variance with confidence and problem-solving self-efficacy beliefs. In addition, several model fit indices suggested a reasonable to good model fit for the measurement model. Practical/managerial implications: The findings have implications for practical applications in employment selection and development with regard to managerial decision-making. Absence of the assessment of self-efficacy beliefs may introduce systematic, non-performance related variance into managerial decision-making outcomes in spite of abilities that managers possess. Contribution/value-add: Research on the volition-undermining effect of self-efficacy beliefs has been remarkably prominent, but despite this there are few appropriate measures that can be applied to managers as decision makers in organisations

The Griffiths Scales of Mental Development: a factorial validity study

Since the introduction of the Griffiths Scales of Mental Development (Griffiths Scales) to South Africa, extensive research has been conducted in both clinical and educational settings. The measure is currently undergoing revision, with one of the objectives being to explore its psychometric properties, in particular its construct validity. The aim of this study was to examine the underlying dimensions tapped by subscales A, B, C, D, E and F for years 5, 6 and 7. The sample consisted of 180 children between the ages of 48 and 60 months, 60+ and 72 months, and 72+ and 84 months for years 5, 6 and 7 respectively. The variables of gender, cultural group and central nervous system development were controlled for. Underlying factors in each subscale were identified by means of factor analysis. The findings suggest that each subscale taps more than one construct and that constructs differ for the different age groups. This implies that in the revision process subscales for each of the years need to be investigated further with regard to their construct validity

The Denver II Scales and the Griffiths Scales of Mental Development: a correlational study

Screening measures aim to minimise the number of children being diagnosed incorrectly; however, many of these measures have been based on the “normal” white population. This study identified the need for a valid developmental assessment of black preschool children. The general aim of the study was to investigate the use of the Denver II and the Griffiths Scales on a pre-school black Xhosa-speaking sample. Specifically, the aim was to investigate the relationship between the Denver II Scales and the Griffiths Scales, in order to provide the first step in establishing the validity of the Denver II Scales on a South African black population. A correlational design was used and the sample was comprised of 60 Xhosa-speaking children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. The findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between the overall performance of the Denver II and the Griffiths Scales. However, the Personal-Social Scale of the Denver II appeared to have items that were culturally biased. Further, the Denver II further identified a higher percentage of the sample to have abnormal or questionable protocols than the Griffiths Scales did.Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2004, 16(2): 77–8