Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Semester of Degree Completion
1993
Thesis Director
John J. Rearden
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between performance on Career Evaluation Systems' (CES) test batteries and performance on production tasks at CCAR Industries' Manufacturing Plant. Fleishman's factor analytic studies of psychomotor performance were reviewed to demonstrate the conceptual basis for the development of the test batteries. Hester's development of the CES batteries and the factors they measure were discussed.
The subjects were 112 CCAR Industries' clients who were administered Career Evaluation Systems' test battery during vocational evaluations at CCAR Industries' Manufacturing Plant between 1986 and 1992. Fifty-nine subjects met the criteria for inclusion in the final analysis.
The criterion measures of worker performance included both rate of improvement in production as measured by piece rate change over employment history and mean piece rate of production. The predictors were the aptitude categories of Unilateral Motor Ability, Bilateral Motor Ability, Lifting Ability, Perceptual Ability, Perceptual-Motor Coordination, and Cognitive Ability. The following tasks were analyzed: Paste Up Fixture, Handwire, and Machine Tipping.
A multivariate analysis of the criterion scores with the predictors produced no significant findings at the .05 level of significance. A Pearson correlational analysis was performed between all variables. Mean piece rate of Paste Up Fixture was significantly related to unilateral motor ability and perceptual-motor coordination.
A backward stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed for each production task. A .05 level of significance was used for all tests. The regression slope coefficient of Paste Up Fixture was significantly related to the combination of aptitude categories. The aptitude categories of cognitive ability, perceptual-motor coordination and perceptual ability were significant univariately, when adjusted for the other aptitude categories. After the poor predictors were excluded, the combination of unilateral motor ability, perceptual-motor ability, and cognitive ability categories were significantly related to mean production piece rate. Unilateral motor ability was a significant adjusted univariate predictor of performance on the Handwiring task.
Subjects demonstrated improvement in their performance over time on task. However, the rate of improvement was not significant. Lack of significant improvement suggests that the mean production piece rates of each subject are valid for comparison to the industry standard and that the mean production rate is an appropriate measure for determination of each subject's level of experienced production. There was an inverse relationship between cognitive ability and level of improvement.
Recommended Citation
Hegarty, Blake, "The Relationship of Career Evaluation Systems (CES) Test Batteries with Work Production in a Sheltered Workshop" (1993). Masters Theses. 2115.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/2115
