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A new NFL psychological test for potential draft prospects
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Jeff Gersten
Feb 22, 2013, 7:01:25 AM2/22/13
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http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/sports/football/nfl-introduces-new-way-to-test-a-players-mental-agility.html&OQ=_rQ3D0&OP=ffc76626Q2Fk_Q3EKkETKkfffkuKQ60-ki_4qD__KykyhOwkhykyykqQ3E_DKqkn__K0Q5D--kEn-.SEKD_i!4Pq.EPf.fQ5DT.K_.KPqK.Q5D.Q3E-Q5DTPDq.Q60PEKQ5D-.Q5DQ3CS-SKTbuKQ60-
<snip>
So the players at this week's combine are facing a new segment in their
extended job interviews: an hourlong psychological assessment designed
to determine and quantify the nebulous qualities that coaches have long
believed make the most successful players motivation, competitiveness,
passion and mental toughness; and to divine how each player learns best.
The new test, like the Wonderlic, is mandatory for the more than 300
players who attend, and it will be given for the first time Friday.
While many coaches and general managers consider the Wonderlic
particularly useful in evaluating quarterbacks and offensive linemen,
positions that are believed to demand the greatest intellect because of
the need to decipher complex defenses, the hope is that the new test,
called the Player Assessment Tool, will give teams clearer insight into
a broader range of players.
"I knew players who didn't score well on the Wonderlic but had great
instinct" said Ernie Accorsi, a former Giants general manager, who was
consulted during the creation of the new test;"I had a player once, this
guy played in a good league in college, but the psychological testing
indicated he didn't handle pressure well. You know what? He didn't, as
it turned out. The Wonderlic can';t tell you that".
The new test was devised by Harold Goldstein, a professor of industrial
and organizational psychology at Baruch College in New York. He worked
with Cyrus Mehri, a lawyer in Washington who leads the Fritz Pollard
Alliance, which monitors the N.F.L.’s minority hiring practices.
Personality tests have been a staple in other industries, and some
N.F.L. teams have used them during their scouting efforts, which often
take months. But last fall Goldstein and Mehri began the process of
producing the first such test for the entire league. They asked a group
of general managers what qualities they wanted in a player. They came up
with 16 aspects thought to be predictors of N.F.L. success, including
learning agility and conscientiousness.
The test closely resembles those given to firefighters, Mehri said,
because they, like football players, must be able to quickly assess a
situation and decide how to proceed under stress.
The goal was to eliminate the impact of prior knowledge subjects taught
in school, like math, in which racial and socioeconomic factors may have
an influence.
<end snip>
<snip>
So the players at this week's combine are facing a new segment in their
extended job interviews: an hourlong psychological assessment designed
to determine and quantify the nebulous qualities that coaches have long
believed make the most successful players motivation, competitiveness,
passion and mental toughness; and to divine how each player learns best.
The new test, like the Wonderlic, is mandatory for the more than 300
players who attend, and it will be given for the first time Friday.
While many coaches and general managers consider the Wonderlic
particularly useful in evaluating quarterbacks and offensive linemen,
positions that are believed to demand the greatest intellect because of
the need to decipher complex defenses, the hope is that the new test,
called the Player Assessment Tool, will give teams clearer insight into
a broader range of players.
"I knew players who didn't score well on the Wonderlic but had great
instinct" said Ernie Accorsi, a former Giants general manager, who was
consulted during the creation of the new test;"I had a player once, this
guy played in a good league in college, but the psychological testing
indicated he didn't handle pressure well. You know what? He didn't, as
it turned out. The Wonderlic can';t tell you that".
The new test was devised by Harold Goldstein, a professor of industrial
and organizational psychology at Baruch College in New York. He worked
with Cyrus Mehri, a lawyer in Washington who leads the Fritz Pollard
Alliance, which monitors the N.F.L.’s minority hiring practices.
Personality tests have been a staple in other industries, and some
N.F.L. teams have used them during their scouting efforts, which often
take months. But last fall Goldstein and Mehri began the process of
producing the first such test for the entire league. They asked a group
of general managers what qualities they wanted in a player. They came up
with 16 aspects thought to be predictors of N.F.L. success, including
learning agility and conscientiousness.
The test closely resembles those given to firefighters, Mehri said,
because they, like football players, must be able to quickly assess a
situation and decide how to proceed under stress.
The goal was to eliminate the impact of prior knowledge subjects taught
in school, like math, in which racial and socioeconomic factors may have
an influence.
<end snip>
number6
Feb 22, 2013, 1:40:40 PM2/22/13
to
On Feb 22, 7:01 am, JeffGers...@webtv.net (Jeff Gersten) wrote:
"I knew players who didn't score well on the Wonderlic but had great
instinct" said Ernie Accorsi, a former Giants general manager, who
was
consulted during the creation of the new test;"I had a player once,
this
guy played in a good league in college, but the psychological testing
indicated he didn't handle pressure well. You know what? He didn't,
as
it turned out. The Wonderlic can';t tell you that".
I didn't know EA was around when Matt Dodge was here ... :-)
"I knew players who didn't score well on the Wonderlic but had great
instinct" said Ernie Accorsi, a former Giants general manager, who
was
consulted during the creation of the new test;"I had a player once,
this
guy played in a good league in college, but the psychological testing
indicated he didn't handle pressure well. You know what? He didn't,
as
it turned out. The Wonderlic can';t tell you that".
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