A Psychometric Review of Career Assessment Tools for Use With Diverse Individuals

This paper briefly reviews the career-related issues facing employees with diverse surface characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, women, older workers, individuals with physical disabilities) and work status characteristics (e.g., part-time workers, contract employees, unemployed) at career choice and during career development. Following a description of these career issues, a review and evaluation of 44 psychometrically sound career assessment tools is provided that may be useful in individual assessment and career counseling with these targeted groups. The results of this review are discussed in terms of research and practice.

Career and Vocational Assessment 1995-1996: A Biennial Review

This selective review of career assessment literature covers the period 1995 to 1996. The authors emphasize published research related to vocational theories and instruments, particularly research concerning career counseling and individual career development, and identify trends and new advances in career assessment. They conclude that Holland's vocational typology continues to be prominent, that the structure of interests is an unresolved issue, that more research has been conducted in previously neglected areas, that the development of new measures and improvement of old ones continues at a rapid pace, that type of methodology affects results, and that other literatures contain possibilities for career assessment. The authors also suggest implications for policy and research.

Use of the COPES, A Measure of Work Values, in Career Assessment

The Career Orientation Placement and Evaluation Survey (COPES; L. Knapp, Knapp-Lee, & R. R. Knapp, 1995), a measure of work values, was developed for use as part of the COPSystem to comprehensively assess interests, abilities, and values to facilitate career exploration. The development of the COPES and the structure of the work values it measures are presented. The 1995 revision of the COPES and its validity data are discussed in the context of career assessment and counseling; future directions for research are proposed.

Development and reliability testing of Spanish language and english language versions of the multidimensional task ability profile

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to assess the: (1) test-retest reliability of the English and Spanish language versions of the Multidimensional Task Ability Profile (MTAP), (2) cross-cultural adaptation of the Spanish language version of the MTAP, and (3) practicality of both versions in terms of time required for administration. The MTAP is a patient-reported outcome measure of physical function that uses a combination of text and pictorial illustrations.

METHODS

An observational study was conducted with a convenience sample of patients with musculoskeletal disorders from three outpatient physical rehabilitation centers. Participants (n = 110) completed the MTAP two times, whereby the second test was completed 24-72 h after the first test. Focus groups were conducted at the end of the study. Correlation analyses were used to assess test-retest reliability and qualitative analyses were used to assess cultural adaptation of the MTAP.

RESULTS

The English and Spanish versions of the MTAP displayed good test-retest reliability (ICC 2,1 = 0.87-0.97, p < 0.05). Qualitative analyses demonstrated adequate cross-cultural adaptation of the Spanish language version of the instrument.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study indicate that the MTAP has been adequately adapted from its original English version for use with Spanish-speaking individuals. The MTAP in its current form of 50 items is reliable when administered to individuals with musculoskeletal disorders in either English or Spanish.