Insights from an updated personnel selection meta-analytic matrix: Revisiting general mental ability tests’ role in the validity–diversity trade-off

Abstract

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported online in Journal of Applied Psychology on Jul 14 2025 (see record 2026-38942-001 ). In the original article, the adverse impact ratios for the dotted lines in Figure 1 are incorrect. The error does not impact the conclusions of this research, and the corrected figure is shown in the erratum.] General mental ability (GMA) tests have long been at the heart of the validity–diversity trade-off, with conventional wisdom being that reducing their weight in personnel selection can improve adverse impact, but that this results in steep costs to criterion-related validity. However, Sackett et al. (2022) revealed that the criterion-related validity of GMA tests has been considerably overestimated due to inappropriate range restriction corrections. Thus, we revisit the role of GMA tests in the validity–diversity trade-off using an updated meta-analytic correlation matrix of the relationships six selection methods (biodata, GMA tests, conscientiousness tests, structured interviews, integrity tests, and situational judgment tests) have with job performance, along with their Black–White mean differences. Our results lead to the conclusion that excluding GMA tests generally has little to no effect on validity, but substantially decreases adverse impact. Contrary to popular belief, GMA tests are not a driving factor in the validity–diversity trade-off. This does not fully resolve the validity–diversity trade-off, though: Our results show there is still some validity reduction required to get to an adverse impact ratio of .80, although the validity reduction is less than previously thought. Instead, it shows that the validity–diversity trade-off conversation should shift from the role of GMA tests to that of other selection methods. The present study also addresses which selection methods now emerge as most valid and whether composites of selection methods can result in validities similar to those expected prior to Sackett et al. (2022). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)