What the Scores Mean

The Overall Optimism Score is the most important measure in this report for predicting success in situations that require resilience and persistence to overcome adversity. The higher the optimism, the greater the probability of success in such situations.

There are two very important reasons why an organization will be interested in using the SASQ:

1.      To weed out pessimists.

2.      To hire a larger percentage of optimists

The scores on the SASQ relate directly to this purpose. All the scores in this report are on a 1 to 5 scale.

Scores in the 1-2 ranges

If a candidate scores a 1 on the SASQ this represents an Overall Optimism Score in the bottom 20% of the general population. A score of 2 represents that this person falls into the fourth 20%.

Recommendation:

While a candidate should never be disqualified based on any one test, only when candidates display exceptional scores on other testing criteria should you consider the candidate for selection. Weeding out candidates in this category will save an organization time and money in training costs alone based on turnover because:

Scores in the 3 range

If a candidate scores 3 on the SASQ this represents that they fall into the middle 20% of the general population.

Recommendation:

This score tells you that this person should not be ‘weeded out’ in the selection process in the way a 1-2 score might indicate. However, research is clear that, all things being equal, they will under perform candidates scoring in the 4–5 range.  

Scores in the 4-5 ranges

A score of 5 is the best Overall Optimism Score and represents a score in the top 20% of the general population, a 4 is in the second 20%.

These are the candidates that you want to have in you organization. Individuals with these scores are more likely to have the following characteristics than those with low Overall Optimism Scores:

Recommendation:

Unless other testing criteria strongly oppose this candidate, the recommendation is to hire this person.

Research is clear that hiring candidates who fall into these categories will make a significant impact on the bottom line of the organization. For instance,

Information About Discrimination

Discrimination in employment or in application for employment on the basis of race, national origin, religion, sex or age is illegal. No questions contained in the Seligman Attributional Style Questionnaire are asked for the purpose of denying any individual an equal opportunity for employment or appointment or of discriminating illegally in any way.

Responses in the section labeled “Test-Taker Information” will not be used in the selection process. The questions in this section concerning ethnic origin, sex, age and prior experience are asked to guarantee that the results of this questionnaire are fair and valid for all applicant groups and to comply with federal and state or provincial laws that require knowledge of this information for the purposes of determining adverse impact and test validation.

The Seligman Attributional Style Questionnaire is an extensively researched instrument. An independent research company, IHHP Inc. scores this questionnaire.

The information on this questionnaire is confidential and is available only to the organization administering this questionnaire. The company that is administering this questionnaire to you receives an overall score, but no information on specific responses from the questionnaire.

The SASQ is Legal: The SASQ complies with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. The SASQ has job-related predictive validity for sales positions and has no adverse impact. That is, the SASQ does not discriminate by gender, race or age and it is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines on employment testing.