Aptitude Testing

It all started when…

The Highlands Ability Battery (HAB) tool was developed in 1992. Highlands Company first administered and scored the HAB as a paper and pencil tool. The battery is based on the work of Johnson O’Connor, a research scientist working at General Electric (GE) who devoted his life to researching inborn human abilities. Upon O’Connor’s death, a few of his colleagues left GE and took Mr. O’Connor’s research with them. One of those individuals, Bob McDonald, with his friend Don Hutcheson, created the HAB. McDonald and Hutcheson, with research, expanded the original research work of O’Connor and incorporated the “Whole Person Model”. Eight factors define the “Whole Person Model”. The Model embraces the understanding that many factors or variables define who we are. The HAB is designed to assess natural abilities in individuals ages 15 and over. Aptitudes do not fully develop and become stable until the age of 15, thus we do not test individuals under this age. The HAB is the “gold standard” of aptitude testing.

The Highlands is a valid and reliable tool used to objectively assess aptitudes. The assessment is made up of 19 work samples that are timed based, focusing on abilities not performance. The timed part of the test uses automatic cognitive processes that are under conscious awareness. Thus, behavior is based on your natural way of thinking, revealing levels of natural aptitudes. The HAB is a computer based test. After paying for the assessment, an access code is used to complete the HAB. Clients use their own computer in their own home to complete the HAB. The assessment takes about three hours to complete. It is suggested to break the HAB work samples up and complete a few of the work samples at different times. An individual may choose to tackle three of the work samples, log out, and finish other work samples at a different time. The HAB requires you to have a mouse with right click abilities and headphones. It is suggested to take the assessment in a quiet environment where attention is only on the HAB. The debrief with Dr. Shari Beecher, a certified HAB Consultant, can be implemented in the Platinum Office (Kingfisher, OK), or by video conference via Zoom or Skype. A complete example of how the assessment process is implemented can be found by clicking here.

Other assessments

Academic self-regulation questionnaire

The 22 question self-assessment measures a student’s perceived level of self-regulation components. Developed by Erickson and Noonan in 2018. According to Zimmerman (1986), self-regulated students are active participants in their own learning process.

Self-regulatory Questionnaire(Adult)

Developed by Hong and O’Neil in 2001, the 34 question self-assessment measures an individuals perceived level of self-regulation. Self-regulation is made up of planning, self-checking, effort, and self-efficacy.

Locus of Control Scale

Rotter’s (1966) 29 item self-assessment scale measures an individual’s locus of control. The assessment is a forced choice scale, making it useful investigating intra-personal factors, as used by Platinum.

HEXACO-PI-R

The HEXACO-PI-R is a 100 question personality assessment developed by Lee and Ashton in 2001. The assessment measures 6 personality dimensions: Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience.