Organizational Psychology

The article reviews the evolution of the concept of effectiveness in the psychological practice, with a particular emphasis on assessment centers (AC) validity. Early AC-methods and processes were originated and developed by military psychological and psychiatric services in Europe and America before and during the WW2. The first studies of AC effectiveness were initialized after the war. There were some attempt to measure AC reliability and validity. The assessment center method, in its modern form, came into existence as a result of the AT&T Management Progress Study. At that time large scale investigations of AC-validity were successfully developed. The trinitarian view of validity (namely content, criterion-related, and construct) has dominated psychology for almost a second half of the XX century. ACs have traditionally demonstrated strong content and criterion-related validity. However, researchers have been puzzled with the lack of evidence concerning construct validity. Researcher shave consistently revealed that different behavioral ratings within simulations are more strongly related to one another (exercise effects) than the same dimension rating across simulations (dimension effects). This phenomenon was named as the AC construct-related validity paradox. Now the trinitarian doctrine has been replaced by the unitarian validity concept and we have the opportunity to reformate the problem for creating more effective ACs. Further, we examine some emerging trends in resolving similar methodological problems by other branches of the psychological practice, such as qualitative investigations and action researches. Conclusions about the validity, fairness, acceptability and efficacy of ACs for personnel selection and development are offered.