Developing a computerized test of perceptual/clerical speed

Abstract

Paper-and-pencil tests of perceptual/clerical speed have been used to select clerical staff for decades, however clerical work in the modern office environment involves the use of personal computers which did not exist when these tests were originally developed. A need therefore exists to update the established predictors of clerical work behaviors. One simple solution is to computerize the traditional pencil-and-paper tests, and this option was investigated in the current study in which a computerized perceptual/clerical speed test (canceling t's and e's) was compared to a paper-and-pencil form. Twenty different versions of the test were developed, varying type of text, feedback and user friendliness. Results from 43 participants demonstrated the presence of a very strong common factor of speediness among all forms of the test in addition to a second factor capturing unique method variance. Although closely related, the two forms were not equivalent. Type of text and the presence of feedback was also found to affect performance. Implications of these findings for the creation of new predictors of job performance will be discussed.