Telephone-Administered Intelligence Testing for Research in Work and Organizational Psychology

Abstract

In a 2 × 2 experimental study, we used the Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT) to assess the quality of intelligence testing by telephone with a sample of 210 individuals active in the world of work and compared it both inter- and intraindividually with intelligence testing by face-to-face test administration. The population median (rxx = .88) of the reliability of ordinary face-to-face-based Wonderlic test-retest reliabilities fit the present data. The pattern of relationships between the WPT and tests of verbal and emotional intelligence was equal in both modalities. The WPT showed high convergence with verbal intelligence and was orthogonal to emotional intelligence. In both experimental groups, WPT scores were positively related to the level of formal education and occupational attainment. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed. We conclude that, given cooperative testtakers, intelligence testing by telephone is a promising alternative to traditional forms of intelligence testing in work and organizational psychological research.