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This article describes the psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the Analyse des Schlussfolgernden und Kreativen Denkens (ASK; Test of Inferential and Creative Thinking) for measuring inferential and creative thinking. The study aimed to (a) supply evidence for the factorial structure of the instrument, (b) describe its reliability in terms of internal consistency, and (c) explore its convergent and discriminant validity. The examinees were 284 high school students and adult graduates. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the dimensional structure. The 2-factor model provided an acceptable fit for the empirical data. As expected, stronger correlations were found among the subscales within the same construct domains compared to correlations among the subscales from the different construct domains. The psychometric qualities of the ASK appeared fairly good, thereby suggesting that it might be helpful in several application fields, including academic and professional guidance, human resource selections, and job placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A type of selection measure is presented which combines the psychometric characteristics of an intelligence test with the surface and content validity characteristics of a work sample for clerical occupations. Consequently, this measure - AZUBI-BK - is more positively evaluated by participants than a conventional measure of general mental ability (N = 1375). Preferences for the work sample-intelligence test hybrid applied for potential applicants from different school types, for job-experienced as well as for inexperienced subjects and for members of the ethnic majority as well as for ethnic minorities. AZUBI-BK showed high correlations with total scores (uncorrected r = .77 and .73) and corresponding factors of two intelligence tests, respectively. Criterion-related validity was equal to the reference measure in predicting theoretical examinations (uncorrected r = .61) and higher in predicting supervisory ratings (uncorrected r = .43). In the latter case, the new instrument shows incremental validity over an intelligence test but not vice versa; in a regression equation, AZUBI-BK can fully account for the variance in supervisory assessment. Adverse impact of AZUBI-BK for ethnic minorities is small which, however, was also true for a conventional intelligence test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]