SJTs

Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) are a class of psychological assessments designed to measure judgment and decision-making in work-related situations. In an SJT, respondents read short vignettes describing workplace scenarios and then choose, rank, or rate possible responses according to their effectiveness. Items are often scored against a criterion key derived from expert judgments or empirical data about which actions most closely align with effective performance.

SJTs can be administered in multiple formats, including paper-and-pencil or computer-based tests, with scoring based on aggregate expert consensus, empirically derived keys, or standardized rubrics. They may focus on situational judgment, role-face problem-solving, or more general traits associated with professional conduct.

Item development typically involves scenario construction, content validation, pilot testing, and item analysis to ensure relevance to job duties and fairness across groups. Scenarios aim to reflect typical job challenges and assess constructs such as interpersonal skills, integrity, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. Some SJTs employ adaptive formats or interactive simulations.

Advantages include high content validity for job performance, resistance to certain faking effects, and suitability for large-scale screening. Limitations include potential cultural or organizational bias, sensitivity to coaching or coaching effects, and varying levels of predictive validity across domains. Reports of fairness and adverse impact require careful monitoring, particularly for diverse applicant pools.

Evidence for validity is mixed but generally shows modest to moderate relationships with job performance and learning outcomes, depending on domain and scoring methods. SJTs remain a widely used tool in modern selection and assessment practices.