Simulations

Simulations represent more or less exact replicas of tasks, knowledge, skills, abilities, and othercharacteristics (KSAOs) required in actual work behavior. This chapter reviews research onhigh-fidelity simulations (i.e., assessment centers [ACs] and work samples) and contrasts it withresearch on low-fidelity simulations (i.e., situational judgment tests; SJTs). More recent hybrids(e.g., constructed response SJTs) between these simulations are also discussed. Thesesimulations are compared in terms of the following five statements: “The use of simulationsenables organizations to make predictions about a broader array of KSAOs,” “In many cases, wedon’t know what constructs simulations exactly measure,” “When organizations use simulations,the adverse impact of their selection system will be reduced,” “Simulations are less fakable thanself-report personality inventories”, and “Applicants like simulations.” Generally, researchresults show that these statements apply to both high-fidelity and low-fidelity simulations, withsome differences in the details. Future research should focus on more comparative evaluations ofsimulations, the cross-cultural transportability of simulations, as well as multiple, speededassessments (MSAs) and their technological advances.