Professor Stephen Woods PhD CPsychol

This module aims to equip students with the fundamental skills, knowledge and understanding needed by practitioner Occupational Psychologists working in the field of psychological assessment. The module begins by exploring the strategic role that assessment plays in managing selection and recruitment in the workplace, as well as for on-going appraisal, performance management, and learning and development processes in organisations. Students will develop practical skills in conducting job analysis, as well as critical awareness of a range of selection methods available to organisations (e.g., interviews, assessment centres, and situational judgement tests) and how these differ in terms of reliability, validity and practical utility. The module will also cover psychometric theory and test construction, with students gaining a detailed understanding of how individuals differ in terms of personality and cognitive ability, and the implications this has for selection. Finally, the module emphasises the importance of ethical awareness in decision making, with a particular focus on diversity, fairness and candidate reactions to the assessment process. In order to consolidate the learning undertaken in this module, students will also be provided with an opportunity to complete BPS-accredited Certificates in Occupational Test User Ability and Personality, which will take place during the summer.