B-PAD: Behavioral Video Testing

B-PAD and Adverse Impact On Women and Minorities

Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence or absence of adverse impact of B-PAD video testing on women and ethnic minority police officer applicants. Since B-PAD scoring criteria emphasize demonstrated behavioral competencies involving non-technical skills (including common sense judgment and interpersonal behavior), it was hypothesized that there would be no differences in the mean scores of men vs. women and white vs. non-white applicants. Prior studies (e.g., Young, 1992) have shown an absence of discrimination on the basis of gender and race.

Methodology and Subject. This study involved the analysis of B-PAD scores for 2,126 applicants from 23 police agencies in ten states. All scores were derived from local agency raters, each of whom was trained and certified as proficient in scoring of B-PAD responses. The 2,126 subjects returned voluntary self-reports directly to The B-PAD Group using pre-stamped, self-addressed forms. The serial-numbered forms provided for the confidential reporting of gender and ethnicity data. Agency rater scores were reported on forms containing serial numbers that matched the self-report forms.
Among the 2,126 applicants, 1,805 were male and 321 were female. There was the following distribution by ethnic group: 55 American Indians, 135 Asians, 125 African-Americans, 212 Hispanics, and 1,599 white applicants. Nine subjects failed to classify themselves and were eliminated from this study.

Results According to the Uniform Guidelines, adverse impact means a "substantially different rate of selection in hiring, promotion, or other employment decision which works to the disadvantage of members of a race, sex, or ethnic group" (EEOC et al., 1978, Sec. 16-B). Although adverse impact alone does not equate to discrimination or violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is a first step toward such a determination in court. Table 1 summarizes the results.

Conclusion As a measure of interpersonal competence, B-PAD is unbiased in its measurement of the competencies of women and ethnic minorities. The absence of adverse impact is one of the most important attributes of a test used for employee selection, and the validity and usefulness of a selection instrument is greatly restricted as the degree of adverse impact increases. Thus, the capacity of the B-PAD scoring criteria to yield scores that do not produce disparate impact on the basis of gender and ethnicity renders this selection tool a valuable adjunct to applicant screening.

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