Johari Window

JOHARI WONDOW

About the Instrument

A Johari window is a metaphorical tool created by Joseph Luft and Harry

Ingham in 1955 in the United States, as a model for mapping personality

awareness, used to help people better understand their interpersonal

communication and relationships. It is used primarily in self-help groups and

corporate settings as a heuristic exercise.

When performing the exercise, the subject is given a list of 55 adjectives and

picks five or six that they feel describe their own personality. Peers of the

subject are then given the same list, and each pick five or six adjectives that

describe the subject.

Adjectives selected by both the participant and his or her peers are placed

into the Arena quadrant. This quadrant represents traits of the participant of

which both they and their peers are aware.

Adjectives selected only by the participant, but not by any of their peers, are

placed into the Façade quadrant, representing information about the

participant of which their peers are unaware. It is then up to the participant

whether or not to disclose this information.

Adjectives that are not selected by the participant but only by their peers are

placed into the Blind Spot quadrant. These represent information of which

the participant is not aware, but others are, and they can decide whether and

how to inform the individual about these "blind spots".

Adjectives which were not selected by either the participant or their peers

remain in the Unknown quadrant, representing the participant's behaviors or

motives which were not recognized by anyone participating. This may be

Arpita Srivastava, MBA (2005-07)1

because they do not apply, or because there is collective ignorance of the

existence of that trait.

The 55adjectives are as follows:

Able Accepting Adaptable Bold Brave

CalmCaring

Cheerful Clever Complex

Confident Dependable Dignified Energetic Extroverted

Friendly Giving Happy Helpful Idealistic

Independent Ingenious Intelligent Introverted Kind

Knowledgeable Logical LovingMature

Modest

Nervous Observant Organised Patient Powerful

Proud Quiet Reflective Relaxed Religious

Responsive SearchingSelf-

assertive

Self-

consciousSensible

Sentimental Shy Silly Spontaneous Sympathetic

Tense Trustworthy Warm Wise Witty


A JOHARI WINDOW

The Johari Window, named after the first names of its inventors, Joseph Luft

and Harry Ingham, is one of the most useful models describing the process

of human interaction. A four paned "window," as illustrated above, divides

personal awareness into four different types, as represented by its four

quadrants: open, hidden, blind, and unknown. The lines dividing the four

panes are like window shades, which can move as an interaction progresses.

In this model, each person is represented by their own window


JOHARI QUADRANT 1 - 'OPEN SELF/AREA' OR 'FREE AREA'

OR 'PUBLIC AREA', OR 'ARENA'

Johari region 1 is also known as the 'area of free activity'. This is the

information about the person - behavior, attitude, feelings, emotion,

knowledge, experience, skills, views, etc - known by the person ('the self')

and known by the group ('others').

For example in my case the "open" quadrant represents things that both I

know about myself, and that you know about me. For example, I know my

name. The knowledge that the window represents, can include not only

factual information, but my feelings, motives, behaviors, wants, needs and

desires... indeed, any information describing who I am. When I first meet a

new person, the size of the opening of this first quadrant is not very large,

since there has been little time to exchange information.

The aim in any group should always be to develop the 'open area' for every

person, because when we work in this area with others we are at our most

effective and productive and the group is at its most productive too. The open

free area, or 'the arena', can be seen as the space where good

communications and cooperation occur, free from distractions, mistrust,

confusion, conflict and misunderstanding.

Established team members logically tend to have larger open areas than new

team members. New team members start with relatively small open areas

because relatively little knowledge about the new team member is shared.

The size of the open area can be expanded horizontally into the blind space,

by seeking and actively listening to feedback from other group members.

This process is known as 'feedback solicitation'. Also, other group members

can help a team member expand their open area by offering feedback,

sensitively of course. The size of the open area can also be expanded

vertically downwards into the hidden or avoided space by the person's

disclosure of information, feelings, etc about him/herself to the group and


group members. Also, group members can help a person expand their open

area into the hidden area by asking the person about him/herself. Managers

and team leaders can play an important role in facilitating feedback and

disclosure among group members, and in directly giving feedback to

individuals about their own blind areas. Leaders also have a big responsibility

to promote a culture and expectation for open, honest, positive, helpful,

constructive, sensitive communications, and the sharing of knowledge

throughout their organization. Top performing groups, departments,

companies and organizations always tend to have a culture of open positive

communication, so encouraging the positive development of the 'open area'

or 'open self' for everyone is a simple yet fundamental aspect of effective

leadership

JOHARI QUADRANT 2 - 'BLIND SELF' OR 'BLIND AREA' OR

'BLIND SPOT'

Johari region 2 is what is known about a person by others in the group, but is

unknown by the person him/herself. For example in my case the "blind"

quadrant represents things that you know about me, but that I am unaware

of. For example, perhaps in our ongoing conversation, you may notice that

eye contact seems to be lacking. You may not say anything, since you may

not want to embarrass me, or you may draw your own inferences that

perhaps I am being insincere. Then the problem is how I can get this

information out in the open.

By seeking or soliciting feedback from others, the aim should be to reduce

this area and thereby to increase the open area ie, to increase self-

awareness. This blind area is not an effective or productive space for

individuals or groups. This blind area could also be referred to as ignorance

about oneself, or issues in which one is deluded. A blind area could also

include issues that others are deliberately withholding from a person. We all


know how difficult it is to work well when kept in the dark. No-one works well

when subject to 'mushroom management'. People who are 'thick-skinned'

tend to have a large 'blind area'.

Group members and managers can take some responsibility for helping an

individual to reduce their blind area - in turn increasing the open area - by

giving sensitive feedback and encouraging disclosure. Managers should

promote a climate of non-judgmental feedback, and group response to

individual disclosure, which reduces fear and therefore encourages both

processes to happen. The extent to which an individual seeks feedback, and

the issues on which feedback is sought, must always be at the individual's

own discretion. Some people are more resilient than others - care needs to

be taken to avoid causing emotional upset.

JOHARI QUADRANT 3 - 'HIDDEN SELF' OR 'HIDDEN AREA'

OR 'AVOIDED SELF/AREA' OR 'FACADE'

Johari region 3 is what is known to us but kept hidden from, and therefore

unknown, to others. This hidden or avoided self represents information,

feelings, etc, anything that a person knows about him/self, but which is not

revealed or is kept hidden from others. The hidden area could also include

sensitivities, fears, hidden agendas, manipulative intentions, and secrets -

anything that a person knows but does not reveal, for whatever reason. It's

natural for very personal and private information and feelings to remain

hidden, indeed, certain information, feelings and experiences have no

bearing on work, and so can and should remain hidden. However, typically, a

lot of hidden information is not very personal, it is work- or performance-

related, and so is better positioned in the open area.

Relevant hidden information and feelings, etc, should be moved into the

open area through the process of 'disclosure'. The aim should be to disclose

and expose relevant information and feelings - hence the Johari Window


terminology 'self-disclosure' and 'exposure process', thereby increasing the

open area. By telling others how we feel and other information about

ourselves we reduce the hidden area, and increase the open area, which

enables better understanding, cooperation, trust, team-working effectiveness

and productivity. Reducing hidden areas also reduces the potential for

confusion, misunderstanding, poor communication, etc, which all distract

from and undermine team effectiveness.

Organizational culture and working atmosphere have a major influence on

group members' preparedness to disclose their hidden selves. Most people

fear judgment or vulnerability and therefore hold back hidden information and

feelings, etc, that if moved into the open area, ie known by the group as well,

would enhance mutual understanding, and thereby improve group

awareness, enabling better individual performance and group effectiveness.

The extent to which an individual discloses personal feelings and information,

and the issues which are disclosed, and to whom, must always be at the

individual's own discretion. Some people are more keen and able than others

to disclose. People should disclose at a pace and depth that they find

personally comfortable. As with feedback, some people are more resilient

than others - care needs to be taken to avoid causing emotional upset.

JOHARI QUADRANT 4 - 'UNKNOWN SELF' OR 'AREA OF

UNKNOWN ACTIVITY' OR 'UNKNOWN AREA'

Johari region 4 contains information, feelings, latent abilities, aptitudes,

experiences etc, that are unknown to the person him/herself and unknown to

others in the group. These unknown issues take a variety of forms: they can

be feelings, behaviors, attitudes, capabilities, aptitudes, which can be quite

close to the surface, and which can be positive and useful, or they can be

deeper aspects of a person's personality, influencing his/her behavior to


various degrees. Large unknown areas would typically be expected in

younger people, and people who lack experience or self-belief.

Examples of unknown factors are as follows, and the first example is

particularly relevant and common, especially in typical organizations and

teams:

an ability that is under-estimated or un-tried through lack of

opportunity, encouragement, confidence or training

a natural ability or aptitude that a person doesn't realize they possess

a fear or aversion that a person does not know they have

an unknown illness

repressed or subconscious feelings

conditioned behavior or attitudes from childhood

The processes by which this information and knowledge can be uncovered

are various, and can be prompted through self-discovery or observation by

others, or in certain situations through collective or mutual discovery, of the

sort of discovery experienced on outward bound courses or other deep or

intensive group work. Counseling can also uncover unknown issues, but this

would then be known to the person and by one other, rather than by a group.

Whether unknown 'discovered' knowledge moves into the hidden, blind or

open area depends on who discovers it and what they do with the

knowledge, notably whether it is then given as feedback, or disclosed.

Again as with disclosure and soliciting feedback, the process of self

discovery is a sensitive one. The extent and depth to which an individual is

able to seek out discover their unknown feelings must always be at the

individual's own discretion. Some people are more keen and able than others

to do this.


Uncovering 'hidden talents' - that is unknown aptitudes and skills, not to be

confused with developing the Johari 'hidden area' - is another aspect of

developing the unknown area, and is not so sensitive as unknown feelings.

Providing people with the opportunity to try new things, with no great

pressure to succeed, is often a useful way to discover unknown abilities, and

thereby reduce the unknown area.

Managers and leaders can help by creating an environment that encourages

self-discovery, and to promote the processes of self discovery, constructive

observation and feedback among team members. It is a widely accepted

industrial fact that the majority of staff in any organization are at any time

working well within their potential. Creating a culture, climate and expectation

for self-discovery helps people to fulfil more of their potential and thereby to

achieve more, and to contribute more to organizational performance.

A note of caution about Johari region 4: The unknown area could also

include repressed or subconscious feelings rooted in formative events and

traumatic past experiences, which can stay unknown for a lifetime. In a work

or organizational context the Johari Window should not be used to address

issues of a clinical nature.

Much, much more has been written on the Johari window model of human

interaction. The process of enlarging the open quadrant is called self-

disclosure, a give and take process between me and the people I interact

with. Typically, as I share something about myself (moving information from

my hidden quadrant into the open) and if the other party is interested in

getting to know me, they will reciprocate, by similarly disclosing information in

their hidden quadrant. Thus, an interaction between two parties can be

modeled dynamically as two active Johari windows. For example, you may

respond to my disclosure that I like "Cherry Garcia" by letting me know what

your favorite ice cream is, or where a new ice cream shop is being built,

kinds of information in your hidden quadrant. Incidentally, it is fattening, so be

careful on how much you eat!


We believe disclosure to be healthy, at least that's the impression one gets

after reading Freud. However, Anita Kelly recently wrote that self-disclosure

of personal secrets has its dangers. We are often better off not telling secrets

regarding our sexual behavior, mental health problems or large-scale

failures. "If you give people information about yourself, you give them power

over you," she says. Monica Lewinsky's disclosure to Linda Tripp and the

ensuing scandal that enveloped President Clinton is a case in point. Be

forewarned that most secrets get passed along to at least two more parties.

People also misjudge how others respond to secrets. Sometimes you get

negative feedback. For example, women who reveal that she was raped may

be seen in the future as a victim or by men as damaged goods. Now, if you

must tell your secret to someone, chose that person very carefully. Chose

someone whose response will give you some insight into your problem.

Unfortunately, such a person is often hard to find. So if you cannot find

anyone appropriate, consider this: that keeping secrets is healthy and

tasteful, because it is a way of managing your identity, and indicates you are

secure and have self-control. But it takes energy, because you have to be on

constant guard not to accidentally reveal something that is potentially

damaging.

As ones level of confidence and self esteem develops, one may actively

invite others to comment on one's blind spots. A teacher may seek feedback

from students on the quality of a particular lecture, with the desire of

improving the presentation. Active listening skills are helpful in this endeavor.

On the other hand, we all have defenses, protecting the parts of ourselves

that we feel vulnerable. Remember, the blind quadrant contains behavior,

feelings and motivations not accessible to the person, but which others can

see. Feelings of inadequacy, incompetence, impotence, unworthiness,

rejection, guilt, dependency, ambivalence for loved ones, needs to control

and manipulate, are all difficult to face, and yet can be seen by others. To

forcibly reveal what another wishes not to see, is "psychological rape," and

can be traumatic. Fortunately, nature has provided us with a variety of

defense mechanisms to cope with such events, such as denial, ignoring.


http://www.noogenesis.com/malama/listening.html

http://www.noogenesis.com/game_theory/johari/johari_window.html#ref%23ref

The Johari window, essentially being a model for communication, can also

reveal difficulties in this area. In Johari terms, two people attempt to

communicate via the open quadrants. On the simplest level, difficulties may

arise due to a lack of clarity in the interaction, such as poor grammar or

choice of words, unorganized thoughts, faulty logic etc. This induces the

receiver to criticize you, the sender, by revealing something that was in your

blind quadrant. Then, if the feedback works, you correct it immediately or

perhaps on a more long term approach take a course in reading and writing.

On a deeper level, you may be in a group meeting, and while you secretly

sympathize with the minority viewpoint, you voted with the majority. However,

blind to you, you actually may be communicating this information via body

language, in conflict with your verbal message. On an even deeper level, you

in an interaction with others may always put on a smiling, happy face, hiding

all negative feelings. By withholding negative feelings, you may be signaling

to your friends to withhold also, and keep their distance. Thus, your

communication style may seem bland or distant.


Application and Importance

A team which understands itself - that is, each person having a strong mutual

understanding with the team - is far more effective than a team which does

not understand each other- that is, whose members have large hidden, blind,

and/or unknown areas.

Team members - and leaders - should always be striving to increase their

open free areas, and to reduce their blind, hidden and unknown areas.

A person represented by the Johari Window example below will not perform

to their best potential, and the team will fail to make full use of the team's

potential and the person's potential too. Effort should generally be made by

the person to increase his/her open free area, by disclosing information

about his/her feelings, experience, views, motivation, etc, which will reduce

the size of the hidden area, and increase the open free area.

Seeking feedback about the blind area will reduce the blind area, and will

increase the open free area. Discovery through sensitive communications,

active listening and experience, will reduce the unknown area, transferring in

part to the blind, hidden areas, depending on who knows what, or better still

if known by the person and others, to the open free area.


Aptitude and Ability Tests

Aptitude and ability tests are designed to assess ones logical reasoning or

thinking performance. They consist of multiple choice questions and are

administered under exam conditions. They are strictly timed and a typical test

might allow 30 minutes for 30 or so questions.

There are at least 5000 aptitude and ability tests on the market the most common

ones can be classified as follows:

Verbal Ability Tests - Includes spelling, grammar, and ability to understand

analogies and follow detailed written instructions.

Arpita Srivastava, MBA (2005-07)

Multiple choice

question

Exam conditions

Strictly timed

13

Aptitude and ability test

Numeric Ability Tests - Includes basic arithmetic, number sequences and

simple mathematics. In more complex numerical critical reasoning questions,

blocks of information are provided that require interpretation.

Abstract Reasoning Tests - Measures ones ability to identify the underlying

logic of a pattern and then determine the solution. They are deliberately

designed so that the visual problem-solving strategy will work better than any

other approach.

Spatial Ability Tests - Measures ones ability to manipulate shapes in two

dimensions or to visualize three-dimensional objects presented as two-

dimensional pictures.

Mechanical Aptitude Tests - Designed to assess ones knowledge of

physical and mechanical principles.

Data Checking Tests - Measure how quickly and accurately errors can be

detected in data and is used to select candidates for clerical and data input

jobs.

Work Sample Tests - Involves a sample of the work that one will be

expected do. These types of test can be very broad ranging. They may


involve exercises using a word processor or spreadsheet if the job is

administrative or they may include giving a presentation or in-tray exercises if

the job is management or supervisory level.

Question Types and Scoring

One may be asked to answer the questions either on paper or using a PCor

palm-top, as online testing is becoming increasingly popular. The advantage

of online testing is that once the test is completed, an analysis of the results

can be calculated straight away.

This means that the organization can continue with the selection process

with the results 'in hand' rather than keep one waiting or send one home and

call one back in at a later date. Another advantage is that one can take the

test at a recruitment agency or even in ones own home. Online testing is

particularly suitable for initial screening as it is very cost-effective. Some of

the advantages of online testing are:

• . Increased cost-savings - no printed material is needed.

• . Increased security - test data can be easily encrypted.

• . Increased speed - scoring and interpretation are done immediately.

• . Increased standardization - question presentation is uniform.

Whichever type of test one is given; the questions are almost always

presented in multiple-choice format and have definite correct and incorrect

answers. As one proceed through the test, the questions may become more

difficult and one will usually find that there are more questions than one can

comfortably complete in the time allowed. Very few people manage to finish

these tests and the object is simply to give as many correct answers as one

can.


Ideally, ones score should then be compared with the results of a control

group, which has taken the tests in the past. This control group could consist

of other graduates, current job holders or a sample of the population as a

whole. Ones reasoning skills can then be assessed in relation to this control

group and judgments made about ones ability. This does happen sometimes.

Often however, ones score is simply compared to the other candidates. After

all, the control group is not applying for the job.

Speed and Power Tests

The types of question one can expect will depend on which aptitudes and

abilities that are needed in the job one are applying for. Aptitude and ability

tests are classified as maximum performance tests as they test what one can

achieve when one are making maximum effort. There are two different styles

of maximum performance test; speed tests and power tests.


Aptitude and ability

test

Power test

Speed test

In a speed test, the scope of the questions is limited and the methods one

need to use to answer them clear. Taken individually, the questions appear

relatively straightforward.

Speed test are concerned with how many questions one can answer

correctly in the allotted time.

Server January February March

units value units value units value

ZXC43 32 480 40 600 48 720

ZXC53 45 585 45 585 45 585

ZXC63 12 240 14 280 18 340

For example:

Q. 139 + 235 =

A) 372 B) 374 C) 376 D) 437

A power test on the other hand will present a smaller number of more

complex questions. The methods one need to use to answer these questions

are not obvious, and working out how to answer the question is the difficult

part. Once one have determined this, arriving at the correct answer is usually

relatively straightforward.

For example:

Below are the sales figures for 3 different types of network server over 3

months.


Q. In which month was the sales value highest?

A) January B) February C) March

Q. What is the unit cost of server type ZXC53?

A) 12 B) 13 C) 14

In summary, speed tests contain more items than power tests although they

have the same approximate time limit. Speed tests tend to be used in

selection at the administrative and clerical level. Power tests tend to be used

at the graduate, professional or managerial level. Although, this is not always

the case, as speed tests do give an accurate indication of performance in

power tests. In other words, if one does well in speed tests then one will do

well in power tests.


Verbal Ability Tests

These tests usually involve grammar, analogies, and following detailed

written instructions. They can also include spelling, sentence completion and

comprehension. Because they depend on understanding the precise

meaning of words, idioms and the structure of the language they discriminate

very heavily towards native speakers of the language in which the test has

been developed. If one speaks English as a second language, even if this is

at a high standard, one will be significantly disadvantaged.

One will usually find questions on all of the following:

Spelling

• Grammar

• Sentence Completion

• Analogies

• Word Groups

• Instructions

• Critical Reasoning

• Verbal Deductions

These tests are widely used since most jobs require one either to understand

and make decisions based on verbal or written information or to pass this

type of information to others. In practice, the more straightforward types of

question (spelling, grammar and instructions) tend to be more applicable to

administrative roles and the reasoning and deduction type of questions to

management roles.


Spelling Questions

Questions where one has to identify incorrectly spelt words are common in

all levels of verbal ability tests. The test designer needs to choose words

which are fairly common and in regular usage but which are often spelt

incorrectly. There would be little point in using obscure words which only a

small percentage of candidates could be expected to know. This means that

one will almost certainly have heard of the word and know its meaning. This

requirement to use words which are in everyday use but which are commonly

miss-spelt means that the test designer has a relatively restricted list of

words to choose from. This makes improving ones performance on these

spelling questions relatively straightforward.

Example Questions

Which of the following words are incorrectly spelt?

A) separate B) ordnance C) obviously D) sucess E) none of these

2. Choose the pair of words that best completes the sentence

The --------of the timetable caused some __n _

A) rivision B) revision C) revission D) revition

A) inconvenience B) inconvenince C) inconveneince D)inconveniance


3. The following list of 20 words contains 10 that are incorrectly spelt. Write the letter

That corresponds to each incorrectly spelt word in the answer box

A) occurence I) dispair Q)

independent

B) dissipate J) irritable R) insistant

C) weird K) accidently 5) excede

0) accommodate L) liaison T) privilege

E) embarrassment M) memento Answers

F) ecstacy N) millenium 1. 0

C) repetition 0) yield 2. B 0

H) batallion P) existance 3. A E F H I K N P R 5

In most cases the longer that one have been out of the education system the

more ones spelling will have deteriorated. Most people now use word

processors with inbuilt spellchecking software and it is very easy to forget

how words are spelt as we don't physically write them down and often rely on

the software to correct them for us. Many people find it quite embarrassing

when they realize how much their spelling has deteriorated – this is one area

where remedial action is straightforward and is guaranteed to produce

positive results.


Missing Word Questions

These questions are designed to measure ones vocabulary, specifically ones

understanding of precise word meanings. One will usually be offered a

choice of four or five words, any of which could complete the sentence.

Example Questions

4. Which of these words completes the sentence in the way that makes most

sense?

A spirit-level should be used to ensure that the surface is n _

A) straight B) flat C) horizontal D) parallel E)aligned


sense?

He avoided m because he was m _

A) redundency B) indispensable C) redundancy D) indispensible


sense?

The plan must be m to make the project mm

A) feasible B) revised C) rivised D) feasible

Answers 4. C 5. C B 6. B A

These questions are relatively straightforward but because more than one of

the options will complete the sentence satisfactorily one must read it carefully

and choose the best word. Note also that some of these questions are

testing one spelling ability and some are testing one understanding of precise

word meanings.


Related Word Questions

To answer these questions one need to understanding of precise meaning of

the words in the question and establish what exactly the relationship is

between them. One should then look at the answer options and decide which

one is the most appropriate.

These questions test one reasoning ability as well as one vocabulary.

Example Questions

7. Which of these is the missing word? kick, m __ mm, walk

A) throw B) toes C) shin D) feet E)hand

8. Which of these is the missing word? key, n n_m, walk

A) lock B) stand C) board D) fob E)stone

9. Which of these is the missing word? water, m __ m , over

A) ice B) drive C) wet D) flow E)fall

Answers

7. D - Feet are used for both kicking 9and walking.

8. C - Board forms the words 'keyboard' and 'boardwalk'

. E- Fall forms 'waterfall' and 'fall over'

There will usually be more than one possible answer, so it is important to

read the question carefully and pick the best option.


Synonym and Antonym Questions

These are words which have either the same or opposite meanings. Once

again, these questions test ones vocabulary - one need to know the precise

meaning of the words given in order to select the appropriate synonym

(same meaning) or antonym (opposite meaning).

Example Questions

10. Which of two of these words are opposite in meaning?

A) lose B)winner C) victor D) loser E)vanquish

11. Which of these words is the odd one out?

A) swindle B) harass C) provoke D) annoy E) pester

12. Which of these words is the odd one out?

A) verify B) authenticate C) confirm D) ask E) substantiate

Answers

10. BD - are exact opposites.

11. A - The others are synonyms

12. D - The others are synonyms


Word Pair Questions

These questions take the form A is to Bas X is to Y. Firstly, one need to

establish the relationship between the 'A is to B' words before one can arrive

at the answer. One may find it helpful to mentally express the relationship

before one look at the answer options. This can short circuit the process of

considering and rejecting each option because one know in advance exactly

what one are looking for.

Example Questions

13. Dog is to canine as wolf is to umuu

A) vulpine B) ursine C) piscine D) bovine E) lupine

14. Sadness is to happiness as defeat is to mum_

A) joy B)victory C) tears D) victor E)none of these

15. Paper is to timber as mm is to hide

A) tree B) seek C) ox D) animal E) leather

Answers

13. E- lupine means 'relating to the characteristics of wolves'

14. B- The word pairs are opposites

15. E- Paper is made from timber, leather is made from hide


Comprehension Questions

These questions consist of a short passage and some related questions.

They will often be about a topic which is unfamiliar to one, but this is an

advantage rather than a disadvantage because one need to answer the

questions based only on the information that one are given - not using any

knowledge that YOI,I already have. Most people find that the best way to

tackle these questions is to scan the text fairly quickly to get the general idea

and then to attempt each question in turn, referring back to the appropriate

part of the text.

Example Question

16. Read the following short passage and say whether or not the statements

are true. There are seven species of deer living wild in Britain. The Red Deer

and the Roe Deer are native species. Fallow Deer were introduced by the

Romans and, since the seventeenth century, have been joined by three other

non-native species: Sika, Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer which have

escaped from parks. In addition, a herd of Reindeer was established in

Scotland in 1952. Most of the Red Deer in Britain are found in Scotland, but

there are significant wild populations in south-west and northwest England,

East Anglia and the north Midlands. Red deer can interbreed with the

introduced Japanese Sika deer and in some areas, hybrids are common.

16a. All of the Red Deer in Britain are found in Scotland.

A) true B)false C) can't say

16b. Red Deer can interbreed with Fallow Deer.

A) true B) false C) can't say

16c. The Fallow Deer is not native to Britain.



16d. There are no Reindeer in England.


Answers

16a. B

16b.C*

16c. A

16d.C

*Note that one must answer the questions using only the information

supplied. Red Deer cannot interbreed with Fallow Deer but, because this is

not stated in the text, one must answer 'can't say' even if one know that the

statement is technically false.


Verbal Reasoning Questions

These questions are not concerned with measuring ones facility with English.

They are designed to test ones ability to take a series of facts expressed in

words and to understand and manipulate the information to solve a specific

problem. These questions are usually restricted to graduate and

management level tests.

Example Question

17. Working together, Tom, Dick and Harry need 9 hours to paint a 400-

metre long fence. Working alone, Tom could complete the task in 18 hours.

Dick can not work as fast and needs 36 hours to paint the fence by himself. If

Tom and Dick take the day off, how long will it take Harry to paint the fence

by himself?

A) 9 B) 12 C) 18 D) 36

Answer

17. 0 - In 9 hours Tom would have painted half of the fence and Dick would

have painted one quarter of it. This leaves one quarter to be painted by Harry

who must therefore work at the same speed as Dick.

SUMMARY

Verbal Ability

Verbal ability tests can be divided into tests of simple verbal ability, for

example; spelling, grammar, synonyms and antonyms etc. These tests

usually consist of 30 to 40 questions which need to be completed in 15 to 20

minutes. They are speed tests in that they don't require very much reasoning

ability. One either know the answer or one don't.


Verbal reasoning tests, on the other hand, are designed to measure ones

problem solving abilities. These questions may take the form of

comprehension exercises, which are straightforward (as long as one

remember to read the relevant part of the text carefully) or more complex

statements where the best tactic is to make notes about what one can

deduce from each part of the text.

These tests usually consist of 10 to 15 questions, which need to be

completed in 20 to 30 minutes and are designed to test one reasoning ability

rather than one facility with the language. Verbal Reasoning questions

assess one ability to use words in a logical way. The questions measure one

understanding of vocabulary, class membership and the relationships

between words. Some questions measure ones ability to perceive and

understand concepts and ideas expressed verbally. While these questions

are designed to measure reasoning ability rather than educational

achievement, it is generally recognized that one verbal reasoning test score

will be influenced by one educational and cultural background.


Numerical Ability Tests

The first type of numerical ability test covers basic arithmetic (addition,

subtraction multiplication and division), number sequences and simple

mathematics (percentages, powers, fractions, etc). This type of test can be

categorized as a speed test and is used to determine one basic numeric.

Obviously one will not be allowed to use a calculator.

Arithmetic Questions

1. 139 + 235 =

A) 372 B) 374 C) 376 D) 437

2.139 - 235 =

A) -69 B) 96 C) 98 D) -96

3.5 x 16 =

A) 80 B) 86 C) 88 D) 78

4.45/9=

A) 4.5 B) 4 C) 5 D) 6

5. 15% of 300 =

A) 20 B) 45 C) 40 D) 35 D) 35

Answers

l. B

2.0

3. A

4. C

5. B


These questions are directly applicable to many administrative and clerical

jobs but can also appear as a component of graduate and managerial tests.

The speed at which one can answer these questions is the critical measure,

as most people could achieve a high score given unlimited time in which to

answer. One can therefore expect 25-35questions in 20-30 minutes.

Number Sequences

These questions require one to find the missing number in a sequence of

numbers. This missing number may be at the beginning or middle but is

usually at the end.

7. Find the next number in the series 4 8 16 32 --

8. Find the next number in the series 4 8 12 20 --

9. Find the missing number in the series 54 49 -- 39 34

10. Find the first number in the series-- 1923 29 31-

A) 48 B) 64 C) 40 D) 46

A) 32 B) 34 C) 36 D) 38

A) 47 B) 44 C) 45 D) 46

A) 12 B) 15 C) 16 D) 17

These number sequences can be quite simple like the examples above.

However, one will often see more complex questions where it is the interval

between the numbers that is the key to the sequence.

11. Find the next number in the series 3 6 11 18 n A) 30 B) 22 C) 27 D) 29

12. Find the next number in the series 4 8 46 42 38 -- A) 32 B) 30 C) 33 D)

34

These simple number sequences usually consist of four visible numbers plus

one missing number. This is because the test designer needs to produce a

sequence into which only one number will fit. The need to avoid any

ambiguity means that if the number sequence relies on a more complex

pattern then there will need to be more visible numbers. For example;


13. Find the missing number in the series 4 3 5 9 12 17 -- A) 32 B) 30 C) 24

14. Find the missing numbers in the series 5 6 7 8 10 11 14 -- -- A) 19 B) 17

15. Find the missing numbers in the series 1 -- 4 7 7 8 10 9 -- A) 6 B) 3 C) 11

Answers

7. B - The numbers double each time

8. A - Each number is the sum of the previous two numbers

9. B - The numbers decrease by 5 each time

10. 0 - The numbers are primes (divisible only by 1 and themselves)

11. C - The interval, beginning with 3, increases by 2 each time

12. B - The interval, beginning with 2, doubles and is subtracted each time

13. 0 - Each number is the sum of the previous and the number 3 places to

the left

14. C A - There are 2 simple interleaved sequences 5, 7,10,14,19 and 6, 8,

11

15. AD - There are 2 simple interleaved sequences J, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 6,7,8,9

To solve these number sequence questions efficiently, one should first check

the relationship between the numbers themselves looking for some simple

arithmetic relationship. Then look at the intervals between the numbers and

see if there is a relationship there. If not, and particularly if there are more

than 4 numbers visible, then there may be two number sequences

interleaved. One will occasionally find multiplication, division, or powers used

in these sequences, but test designers tend to avoid them as these

operations soon lead to large numbers which are difficult to work out without

a calculator.


Letters of the Alphabet as Numbers

Another type of sequence question, which appears in these tests, involves

the substitution of letters of the alphabet for numbers. For example A=1, B=2

etc. It may seem strange to consider these as numerical reasoning questions

but they actually work in the same way once one have changed them back

into numbers.

16. Find the next letter in the series B EH K –

A) L B)M C) N D) 0

17. Find the next letter in the series A Z BY –

A) C B)X C) D D) Y

18. Find the next letter in the series T V X Z –

A) Y B) B C) A D)W

Answers

16. C - There are two letters missing between each one, so N is next 17. A -

There are 2 interleaved sequences A, B, C and Z, Y, so C is next 18. B -

Miss a letter each time and 'loop' back, so B is next because arithmetic

operations cannot be performed on letters there is less room for ambiguity in

these questions. This means that interleaved sequences can be used with

fewer visible letters than in questions that use numbers.

Question 17 for example can use 2 interleaved sequences even though only

four letters are visible. This would be very difficult to achieve with numbers.

It· is implicit in these 'alphabetic sequence' questions that the sequence

'loops' back around and starts again.


See question 18. It is important to recognize this as it is not usually stated

explicitly one are just expected to know it.

If one sees more than one of these questions in a test then it is almost

certainly worth taking the time to write out the letters of the alphabet with

their ordinal numbers underneath. One can then treat these questions in a

similar way to number sequence questions. This can save a lot of time

overall and avoids simple mistakes.

ABC D £ F G HI) K L M N 0 P Q R 5 T V V VI:Z Y Z

1 2 3 .4 5 6 7 8 910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26


Numerical Critical Reasoning

Information is provided that requires one to interpret it and then apply the

appropriate logic to answer the questions. Sometimes the questions are

designed to approximate the type of reasoning required in the workplace.

The questions will often use very specific illustrations, for example the

question may present financial data or use information technology jargon.

However, an understanding of these areas is not required to answer the

question.

19. Below are the sales figures for 3 different types of network server over 3

months.

19a. in which month was the sales value highest? January B) February C)

March

19b. What is the unit cost of server type ZXC53

A)12 B) 13 C) 14

19c. how many ZXC43 units could be expected to sell in April?

A)56 B) 58 C) 60

19d. Which server had its unit price changed in Mar.ch

A)ZXCA43 B)ZXC53 C) ZXC63


DATA ANANLYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

After the collection of primary data relating to the use of psychometric tools

by human resource personnel in various organizations, the data so collected

was analyzed and interpretations were drawn.

Q.No.-1) Are you aware of the use of psychometric tools / tests for

various HR functions, by HR personnel all over the world?

Analysis:

The graph clearly shows that the Human Resource professionals of all the

organizations that were surveyed are aware of the use of various

psychometric tools and tests that are being used by HR professional in

organizations all over the world. This means that whether these

organizations are using these tests and tools or not, at least there is

awareness about the existence and use of such tests by human resource

professional for various human resource functions.


Q.No.2) Is your Organization using any psychometric test for any HR

function?

Analysis:

The survey clearly indicates that only one fifth of the organizations are

actually using psychometric tools for some or the other human resource

functions. Our previous graph indicates an absolute awareness about these

tools still only 20% of the organizations are putting to use these psychometric

tests. Psychometric testing in India hence is a relatively unexplored area of

human resource.

On the basis of secondary data if we compare with the organizations in US or

UK as many as 70-80 % of the top companies are using psychometric testing

for various HR functions.

Hence it may be concluded that the use of psychometric testing in India is in

its nascent stage ie. The human resource professionals in India have just

started to use these psychometric tools.


Q.No.3) If no, do you plan to use any psychometric tool / test in future?

Analysis:

The HR professionals in the organizations which were not using any type of

psychometric tools were asked if they were planning to do so in near future.

Only as much as one third of the respondent organizations said they might

use these psychometric tools in near future. As much as 60% of the

respondents had no idea whether their organizations might be interested in

using these tests and tools. However there were 10% of the organizations

that said a clear no to a possibility of their future use. It was a BPO Genpact,

the reason provided was “The number of people being hired runs in

thousands on a monthly basis. Cannot afford the time and cost behind a

psychometric tool.”


What is interesting here is that the organizations and the human resource

personnel in only 10% of the organizations have said a clear No to the use of

psychometric tools. In the previous graph we concluded that psychometric

testing is in its nascent stage in India, in this graph hence we may conclude

that maybe the HR professionals in India have some reservations over using

these tools because they either do not have the knowledge of the benefits

derived from the use of these psychometric tools or are unsure of how well

these tests will fare in India.

Since only one respondent out of the total sample has said a clear ‘No’, it can

be said that educating the HR professionals about the benefits derived from

the use of these tools and tests may push the use of psychometric testing in

India further.

The reason may again be attributed to the fact that psychometric testing is a

relatively new concept in India and there are hardly any companies or bodies

in India which are promoting the use of these tests and tools and to whom

the whole process of psychometric testing can be outsourced.


Q.No.4) \If yes, which tool/s is/are being used by your organization?

The organizations and human resource professionals were found to be using

various psychometric tools like:

Belbin Team roles inventory,

MBTI and number of other tests

A large number of aptitude tests

Behavior tests

Personality tests

FIRO-B

Q.No.5) For which HR function is your organization using these

psychometric tests?

In the data collection exercise it was found that these psychometric tools and

tests are being used for a whole gamut of human resource functions. This

included for human resource processes like:

Recruitment and selection,

Training and development

Counseling,

Feedbacks,

Appraisals,

Behavior analysis,

Competency mapping

For building career paths of employees

Talent Development


Q.No.6) Is your organization satisfied with the result generated by using

these tools/tests?

Analysis:

Of the organizations that were surveyed and which were using psychometric

tools it was asked if they were satisfied with the use of these psychometric

tools and tests. Almost two third of the organizations surveyed said that they

were satisfied with the results generated by these psychometric tools and

tests. And there were only 33% other organizations that were unsure of the

results generated by the use of these psychometric tests. An important point

to note here is that not even a single organization that is using these tools

has shown any kind of dissatisfaction. Hence there is a general level of

satisfaction derived from the use of these psychometric tools.


Q.No.7) /Do you plan to use any other psychometric tool/test in near

future?

Analysis:

The organizations that were already using these psychometric tests and

tools were then asked if they were planning to use any other type of

psychometric tool or test. Here only thirty three percent of the human

resource professionals have said that they are open to trying more

psychometric tools and as much as 67% respondents have said that they

are not sure about it. Again no one has said no, hence it can be said that

human resource professionals in these organizations are open to trying a

few more tools, they may have some reservations though.


Q.No.8) At what level do you usually use these psychometric tests

(managerial, supervisory etc.)

Analysis:

The graph clearly indicates that the organizations that are using

psychometric tools and tests for not just top level management but also

are exploiting their use at lower levels as well. As many as 67% of the

organizations using these tests and tools said, that they use these tests

and tools at all levels of management for various human resource

functions.

In one of our previous analysis we established the fact that psychometric

testing is new to India still here we can see that the organizations that are

pioneering the use of these tests are actually trying to use these test at

various levels, this shows that the human resource professionals are

actually willing to explore new opportunities and their focus today is not

just the white collared professionals but also employees working lower

down the corporate ladder.


Q.No.9) /How do you ensure standardization and objectivity in your

tests?

Standardization implies uniformity of procedure in administering and scoring

the test. Eg. For scores to be comparable, testing conditions must be same

for all. Objectivity implies that the administration scoring and interpretation of

scores are objective insofar as they are independent of the subjective

judgment of the practical examiner.

An interesting fact found here was that the human resource professional in

the organizations using these tests did not point out any particular manner in

which they ensure standardization and objectivity in their tests. At best

organizations are trying to be objective and trying to ensure standardization

by making the use of these psychometric tools a very common phenomenon.

It may be said that concentration is more on learning by trial and error

method rather than trying to find out actual ways in which issues like

objectivity and standardization can be addressed.


Q.No.10) Is your organization aware of the various ethical issues

involved in the use of psychometric testing?

Analysis:

All the human resource professionals surveyed were asked whether they are

aware of the various ethical and social issues involved in the use of

psychometric testing.

It is interesting to know that even though only 25% of the organizations

surveyed are actually using these test still as many as 75% of the human

resources professionals in all the organization surveyed are aware of the

various ethical issues involved in the use of psychometric tools and tests.

This shows the level of interest these psychometric tools have generated in

the minds of human resource professionals and also that human resource

professionals in India are aware of the latest trends in human resource field

of study.


Q.No.12) Do you have qualified professionals for administering and

generating results from these tools or you have outsourced the

process?

Analysis:

The organizations that are using psychometric tests and tools were then

asked whether they have in-house expertise to use and generate the results

from these tools and test or have they outsourced the whole process.

The graph clearly shows that only one third of the organizations have

outsourced the whole process. It is interesting to know that two third of the

organizations using these tools actually have in-house professionals to

administer and use these tests for various human resource functions. This

shows the level of interest of these organizations in the usr of psychometric

tools.


FINDINGS

All the data that was gathered from various human resource professionals

was then analyzed and interpretations were made. On the basis of these

interpretations the following broad conclusions were drawn about the use of

psychometric tools by the organizations:

It was found that there is an enormous amount of awareness in the

human resource professionals about the presence and use of

psychometric tests and tools by the organizations all over the world for

various human resource processes.

The survey clearly indicated that approximately only one fourth of the

organizations in India are actually using psychometric tools for some

or the other human resource functions as against 70-80 %

organizations in US and UK. it was hence safely concluded that

psychometric testing in India is in its nascent stage ie. The human

resource professionals in India have just started to use these

psychometric tools.

Only one of the organizations that were surveyed and which were not

using any psychometric tools clearly denied using these psychometric

tools and tests in future. It was hence concluded that the HR

professional in India just have some reservations in using these tools

and tests because they either do not have the knowledge of the

benefits derived from the use of these psychometric tools or are

unsure of how well these tests will fare in India. It can be said that

educating the HR professionals about the benefits derived from the

use of these tools and tests may push the use of psychometric testing

in India further.


It was also found that as many as half the organizations that were

surveyed and were found to be using these tools and tests are

satisfied with the use of these psychometric tests. And are also

planning to explore and exploit more psychometric tools in the best

interest of the organizations they are working for.

The Survey results clearly indicate that the organizations are using

psychometric tools and tests for not just top level management but are

using these tools and tests at lower levels as well. As many as 75% of

the organizations using these tests and tools said, that they are using

them at all levels of management for various human resource

functions.

CONCLUSION

Keeping in mind the interpretations drawn from the survey and the findings

there from, it is concluded that use of psychometric tools by human resource

professionals in India is a relatively new phenomenon as compared to the

countries in the west like US & UK.

However what is interesting is that there is an absolute awareness among

human resource professionals in India regarding the fact that these

psychometric tools and tests can be and are being used by human resource

professionals all over the world. In fact here is a lot of awareness about the

ethical issues involved in the use of these psychometric tools and tests as

well.

Hence it maybe concluded that the human resource professionals in India do

have the theoretical knowledge about these tools and test but are either not

enough enterprising in exploring new field of study in HR or else they have


reservations over using these tools and tests because they are unsure of the

practical implications and benefits of these tests.

It is also important to mention here that there are few organizations that are

using these psychometric tools and tests and are extremely satisfied with the

result generated and are not only ready and willing to explore more

psychometric tools but are actually using these tests and tools at not just the

top managerial level but also at lower levels down the corporate hierarchy.

Use of psychometric tests in India hence remains an unexplored area of

human resource however it must also be kept in mind that the human

resource professionals are willing to use these test in future. It is hence the

responsibility of human resource academicians to explore this area of HR

and gain some expertise on use of these tests in order to further promote the

use of psychometric testing in India.

RECOMMENDATIONS

On the basis of my research I would like to recommend to the human

resource personnel in India that they must be more enterprising in exploring

the untouched and upcoming areas of human resources. Psychometric

testing in India for example is a relatively new phenomenon. The human

resource professionals must keep in constant touch with the latest trends and

fads in the human resource field of study. These professionals must also

understand that in today’s scenario; just having the theoretical knowledge is

useless if you cannot put that knowledge to practical use.

Apart from this it would be extremely beneficial for the human resource

fraternity in India on the whole, if the organizations and HR professionals that

are actually using psychometric tests and tools must come forward to share

their views and experiences with other organizations which may not be that

strong financially to experiment with such things. Human resource personnel

working in foreign multinational companies must specially participate in


activities that can introduce new tools and techniques to their fellow human

resource professionals.

More corporate level seminars and workshops must be organized where

human resource professionals from various organizations can forward to

share their views, experiences and knowledge. This would be beneficial for

everyone on the whole. In fact it is about time when human resource

professionals in India form a national level forum that can conduct such

seminars and workshops to take human resource in India to higher levels.

As said by a great speaker “ In 21st century those who can read and write

shall not be illiterate but it would be those who cannot learn, unlearn and

relearn” keeping this in mind I would just like to recommend to the human

resource fraternity to be more enterprising and look forward to out of the box

thinking .

LIMITATIONS

A sincere attempt has been made to keep the project away from

any kind of redundancies, biases or errors, yet the readers may

find certain l imitation in the project, which may be because of

one or more of the following reasons:

The validity and correctness of information relating the

various tests and tools are subject to the data gathered

from various websites on the internet.

The sample size for the survey is only 12 this. This is

because only one HR person per organizations could be

used to represent their respective organizations and human

resource departments f i l l the questionnaire.


The validity of data is subject to the views expressed by

the respondents working as human resource professionals

in various organizations.

The number of psychometric tools included in this project is

only inclusive and not exhaustive because it is practically

impossible to include all the psychometric tools from the

toolkit of HR

REFERENCES

BOOKS

Anastasi Anne, Urbina Susana

Psychological Testing,

Pearson Education, 2003.

Mcshane S, Glinow A M, Sharma R,

Introduction to Organization Behavior,

Tata McGraw Hills, 2006.

E-Books

D.Constantine-Simms,

Everything you need to know to pass psychometric tests.


Magazines

HRM Review February 2007

Search Engines

Google

Websites

http://www.teamfocus.co.uk/different_types_of_psychometric_tests.htm

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/hr/selection/psychometric.htm

http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html

http://en.wikipedia.org

www.humanmetrics.com

http://www.opp.co.uk etc.


http://www.opp.co.uk/

http://www.humanmetrics.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/hr/selection/psychometric.htm

http://www.teamfocus.co.uk/different_types_of_psychometric_tests.htm

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