The potential of game- and video-based assessments for social attributes : examples from practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the development and psychometric properties of a novel game- and video-based assessment of social attributes. Despite their increasing adaption, little research is available on the suitability of games and video analytics for measuring noncognitive attributes in the selection context. Design/methodology/approach: The authors describe three novel assessments and their psychometric properties in a sample of 1,300 participants: a game-based adaptation of an Emotion Recognition Task, a chatbot-based situational judgment test for emotion management and a video-based conscientiousness assessment. Findings: The novel assessments show good to moderate convergent validity for Emotional Recognition (r = 0.42), Emotion Management (r = 0.39) and Conscientiousness (r = 0.21). The video-based assessment demonstrates preliminary predictive validity for self-reported work performance. Novel game-based assessments (GBAs) are perceived as better designed and more immersive than traditional questionnaires. Adverse impact analysis indicates small group differences by age, gender and ethnicity. Research limitations/implications: Predictive validity findings need to be replicated using objective measures of performance, such as performance ratings by supervisors and extended to the GBAs. Adverse impact should be evaluated using a real-life applicant pool and extended to additional groups. Practical implications: Evidence for the psychometric validity of novel assessment formats supports their adoption in selection and recruitment. Improved user experience and shortened assessment times open up new areas of application. Originality/value: This study gives first insights into psychometric properties of video- and game-based assessments of social attributes.