The Predictive Validity of Eye Movement Indices for Technical School Qualifying Test Performance

• Published in: Applied psychological measurement 1981-01, Vol.5 (1), p.43-49
• Main Authors: Dillon, Ronna F., Wisher, Robert A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0146-6216; 1552-3497
• DOI: 10.1177/014662168100500106

The study was designed to determine the predic tive validity of a series of eye scan indices, collected during analogical reasoning, with respect to techni cal school qualifying test performance. The scan patterns of 11 male Navy recruits were recorded during solution of 12 items taken from the 1962 Advanced Progressive Matrices. Significant positive relationships with performance on the Armed For ces Qualifying Test were identified for (1) the per centage of the total number of fixations occurring within the main stimulus array prior to the first ex cursion to the distractor field; (2) the proportion of total row scans to binary row scans; and (3) the proportion of total column scans to binary column scans. Significant negative relationships with quali fying test performance were identified for (1) the number of excursions from a point in the stimulus array to a point in the distractor field and (2) the total number of fixations. Results are discussed within the framework of employing indices of cog nitive processes to develop selection and training procedures from an individual differences perspec tive.