Contemporary psychology, Vol. 9 No. 2, 2006.
Professional paper
An analysis of the Emotion Profile Index in the selection context
Darja Maslić Seršić
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
Jelena Zelenbrz
; Horizont International
Irena Čorko
; Creativa
Abstract
Plutchik's Emotion Profile Index (EPI) is a personality assessment test often used in Croatian practice, despite being based on the almost abandoned Plutchik theory, it has never been properly validated. As in Slovenia and Serbia, psychologists also used it for selection purposes in the context of psychological assessment of job applicants. This study represents the first analysis of the interindividual differences in EPI results, obtained by its administration in Croatian psychological practice. The aim was to find out whether the EPI would provide different results when applied in the selection and the non-selection context, as well as to test whether the original American norms, supplied with the instrument, could support the interpretation of the results obtained in the selection context. The data were collected in several organizations: one part was obtained during the selection processes for various jobs, performed by one consulting company (N = 300) and the other from two small firms which use the EPI for non-selection purpose (N = 200). The results indicate a discrepancy in the EPI dimensions between the selection and the non-selection context: job applicants tended to provide socially desirable answers. When used in selection, its discriminative validity was drastically reduced. Results obtained in the selection context varied significantly from the original norms, indicating their uselessness for the purpose of individual score interpretation in the normed values. The study identified significant limitations that this instrument has when it is used in the selection practice and gave some recommendations for future studies of its validity
Keywords
Emotions Profile Index (IPE) – Plutchik; selection; personality; norms; discriminative validity
Hrčak ID:
81372
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2006.
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