Utility of the assessment center as a selection device.

Evaluated the utility of the assessment center by means of the Brogden-Cronbach-Gleser continuous variable utility model. After specifying several cost assumptions, 6 parameters were varied systematically: the validity and cost of the assessment center, the validity of the ordinary selection procedure, the selection ratio, the standard deviation of the criterion, and the number of assessment centers. The largest impacts on assessment center payoffs were exerted by the size of the criterion standard deviation, the selection ratio, and the difference in validity between the assessment center and the ordinary selection procedure. Even assessment centers with validities as low as .10 showed positive gains in utility over random selection. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)