Kuncel Research Lab
Psychology Department
Elliott Hall
My colleagues and I focus on understanding what makes people successful at school and at work. To date, my most visible research has examined the predictive power of a number of standardized tests that are used for admissions decisions. My colleagues and I have conducted large-scale meta-analyses of the validity of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) and the SAT, as well as high school and college grade point averages. We have investigated the validity of these tests for different aspects of academic performance in an effort to examine performance beyond grade point averages. We have found overwhelming evidence that these measures are related to important aspects of student success. Our current research is attempting to expand our understanding of non-cognitive predictors of student success including study skills, personality, and interests.
Our research on predictors is supported by efforts to create taxonomies of the major dimensions of student performance in college and graduate school. Performance in graduate school or on the job is not one thing. Performance is the function of many complex sets of behaviors. A more complete understanding of what constitutes effective work or school performance can only be obtained by measuring different aspects of performance. Creating broad taxonomies of performance behaviors is a good place to start understanding performance and the individual difference characteristics that determine effective performance.
Lab Director:
Nathan R.
Kuncel, Ph.D.
For Nathan's Personal Page, please click HERE.
Ph.D. Students (with their Lab Director):
Click on above map for more information about the graduate students.
Kuncel, N. R. & Hezlett, S. A. (in press). Standardized tests predict graduate student's success. Science.
Kuncel, N. R., & Borneman, M. (in press). Toward a new method of detecting deliberately faked personality tests: The use of idiosyncratic item responses. International Journal of Selection and Assessment.
Kuncel, N. R., Crede, M., & Thomas, L. L. (in press). A comprehensive meta-analysis of the predictive validity of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and undergraduate grade point average (UGPA). Academy of Management Learning and Education, 6.
Kuncel, N. R., & Klieger, D. M. (in press). Application patterns when applicants know the odds: Implications for selection research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology.
Roberts, B. W., Kuncel, N. R., Shiner, R., Caspi, A., & Goldberg, L. R. (in press). The comparative predictive validity of personality traits, SES, and cognitive ability. Perspectives on Psychological Science.
Thomas, L. L., Kuncel, N. R., & Crede, M. (in press). Non-cognitive predictors of academic performance: The case of the Non-Cognitive Questionnaire (NCQ). Educational and Psychological Measurement.
Kuncel, N. R., Crede, M., & Thomas, L. L. (2005). The validity of self-reported grade point averages, class ranks, and test scores: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research , 75, 63-82.
Kuncel, N. R., Crede, M., Thomas, L. L., Klieger, D. M., Seiler, S. N., & Woo, S. E. (2005). A meta-analysis of the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and grade predictors of pharmacy student success. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 69, 339-347.
Kuncel, N. R., Hezlett, S. A., & Ones, D. S. (2004). Academic performance, career potential, creativity, and job performance: Can one construct predict them all? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology [ Special Section, Cognitive Abilities: 100 Years after Spearman (1904)], 86, 148-161.
Kuncel, N. R., Hezlett, S. A., & Ones, D. S. (2001). A comprehensive meta-analysis of the predictive validity of the Graduate Record Examinations: Implications for graduate student selection and performance. Psychological Bulletin, 127 , 162-181.
CONFERENCE PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS
Kuncel, N. R. (2007, August). Validating the GRE. In K. F. Geisinger (Chair), The revised Graduate Record Examination General Test: Requisite knowledge. Symposium submitted for presentation at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco , CA .
Cooper, S. R., & Kuncel, N. R. (2007, August). A Meta analysis of first and second year student satisfaction. Poster paper accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco , CA .
Kuncel, N. R., Borneman, M. J., & Tellegen, A. (2007, August). The desirability of item response options and their effect on faking behavior. In P. Kyllonen (Chair), The faking problem in noncognitive assessment . Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco , CA .
Kuncel, N. R., Wee, S., Serafin, L., & Hezlett, S. A. (2007, April). Does program level moderate the GRE's predictive validity? A meta-analysis . Poster session presented at the annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York , NY .
Seiler, S.N. & Kuncel, N.R. (2007, April). Predicting Faking Using the Faking Dispositions and Reactions Questionnaire (FDRQ). Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York , NY .
Borneman, M. J., Cooper, S. R., Klieger, D. M., & Kuncel, N. R. (2007, April). The efficacy of the admissions interview: A meta-analysis. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Alternative Predictors of Academic Performance: The Glass is Half Empty . Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago , IL .
Cooper, S. R., Klieger, D. M., Borneman, M. J., & Kuncel, N. R. (2007, April). A meta-analytic examination of personal statements: Implications for predicting performance in school. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Alternative Predictors of Academic Performance: The Glass is Half Empty . Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago , IL.
Klieger, D. M., Borneman, M. J., Cooper, S. R., & Kuncel, N. R. (2007, April). Quality of prior academic institutions in academic admissions: A problematic but palpable improvement in prediction. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Alternative Predictors of Academic Performance: The Glass is Half Empty . Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago , IL.
Vannelli, J., Kuncel, N. R., & Ones, D. S. (2007, April). A mixed recommendation for letters of recommendation. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Alternative Predictors of Academic Performance: The Glass is Half Empty . Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago , IL .
Borneman, M. J., Cooper, S. R., Klieger, D. M., Kuncel, N. R., & Brenckman, N. (2007, April). Admission Interviews: Not So Nice to Meet You. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Alternative Predictors of Academic Performance. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York , NY .
Cooper, S. R., Klieger, D. M., Borneman, M. J., Kuncel, N. R., & Mikeworth, H. (2007, April). Personal Statements: Please Keep Them to Yourself. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Alternative Predictors of Academic Performance. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York , NY .
Klieger, D. M., Borneman, M. J., Cooper, S. R., & Kuncel, N. R. (2007, April). ”Quality” of Schools?: Please Educate Me. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Alternative Predictors of Academic Performance. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York , NY .
Vannelli, J., Kuncel, N. R., & Ones, D. S. (2007, April). Letters of Recommendation: Not Much to Write Home About. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Alternative Predictors of Academic Performance. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York , NY .
Kuncel, N. R., Rose, M. R., Yang, Z., & Ejiogu, K. C. (2007, April). Cognitive ability and socio-economic status relations with job performance . Poster session presented at the annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York , NY .
Cooper, S. R., Hulin, C. L., & Kuncel, N. R. (2007, April). Performance, affect, and satisfaction across repeated trials: An examination of some temporal implications of goal setting . Poster session presented at the annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York , NY .
Woo, S.E., Harms, P.D., & Kuncel, N. R. (2006, May). Measuring personality-intelligence integrated: typical intellectual engagement, need for cognition, and openness . Poster session presented at the annual conference of the American Psychological Society, New York , NY.
Cooper, S., Kuncel, N. R., Sackett, P. R., Arneson, J., & Waters, S. (2006, April) The role of SES in the ability performance relationship . Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational psychology, Los Angles, CA.
Crede, M., & Kuncel, N. R. (2006, April). The validity of study habits, skills, and attitudes: A meta-analysis . Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational psychology, Los Angles, CA.
Kuncel, N. R., & Klieger, D. M. (2005, April). Application patterns when applicants know the odds: Implications for selection research and practice . Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Los Angles, CA.
Kuncel, N. R., Hezlett, S. A., Ones, D. S., Crede, M., Vanelli, J. Thomas, L. L., Jackson, H., Deuhr, E. (2005, April). A meta-analysis of personality determinants of college student performance. In D. S. Ones (Chair), Power of Personality: Longitudinal Studies and Meta-Analyses Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Los Angles, CA.
Seiler, S. N., & Kuncel, N. R. (2005, April). Modeling the individual difference determinants of faking: Integration and extension . Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational psychology, Los Angles, CA.
Kuncel, N. R., Sackett, P. R., Waters, S., Arneson, J., & Cooper, S. (2005, April). The role of SES in the SAT-Performance relationship: A systematic examination. In W. Camera (Chair) Does money and privilege = college success? The role of SES in predicting SAT grades and college performance . Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement and Education, Montreal , Canada .
Kuncel, N. R., Crede, M., Thomas, L. L., Klieger, D. M., Seiler, S. N., & Woo, S. E. (2004, May). A meta-analysis of the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and grade predictors of pharmacy student success . Poster session presented at the annual conference of the American Psychological Society, Chicago , IL .
Kuncel, N. R., Crede, M., & Thomas, L. L. (2004, August). The validity of the GMAT: A meta-analysis . Poster session presented at the annual conference of the Academy of Management, New Orleans, LA.
Kuncel, N. R., Hezlett, S. A., & Campbell, J. P. (2004, May). Toward a solution of the criterion problem in academic performance research. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Advances in the prediction and measurement of academic performance . Symposium conducted at the annual conference of the American Psychological Society, Chicago, IL.
Thomas, L. L., Kuncel, N. R., & Crede, M. (2004, May). The validity of the NCQ for student performance: A meta-analysis. In N. R. Kuncel (Chair), Advances in the prediction and measurement of academic performance . Symposium conducted at the annual conference of the American Psychological Society, Chicago, IL.
Kuncel, N. R., Crede, M., & Thomas, L. L. (2004, April). The validity of the GMAT: A meta-analysis . Poster session presented at the annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicago, IL.
Kuncel, N. R., Crede, M., & Thomas, L. L. (2004, April). The reliability of self-reported grade point averages, class ranks, and test scores: A meta-analysis . Paper presented at the annual conference of the National Council on Measurement in Education, San Diego, CA.
Harms, P. D., Kuncel, N. R., & Roberts, B. W. (2004, Janurary). The mini-markers of evil: Using adjectives to assess the Dark Triad of personality . Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Austin, TX.
Univ. of Minn.-Twin Cities graduate program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Univ. of Minn.-Twin Cities Department of Psychology
Univ. of Minn.-Twin Cities Main University Page
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME)
American Psychological Society (APS)
Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC)
Law School Admission Council (LSAC)
Nathan R. Kuncel, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota
Department of Psychology
75 East River Road
Elliott Hall
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0344
Email: kunce001@umn.edu
Fax: (612) 626-2079
If you are interested in a position as an undergraduate research assistant at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, you also may contact me at kunce001@umn.edu or David Klieger (one of my graduate students) at klie0019@umn.edu.
Research Lab Group
May 7, 2004
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Research Lab Group
Hard at Work
May 7, 2004
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Research Lab Group
Not So Hard at Work
May 7, 2004
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