Final answer:
Personality tests like the MMPI are used to track changes in personality traits over time, rather than showing a traditional 'increase' in test scores. They measure the consistency of an individual's personality characteristics and can inform about potential work-related vulnerabilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing if measurement tests and personality tests have a correlated increase, it's important to understand the context in which these tests are administered. Specific to law enforcement, personality tests have been used to identify potential changes in police officers over time. For example, research conducted by Beutler, Nussbaum, and Meredith (1988) involving the MMPI revealed that after two years on the job, officers demonstrated an increased vulnerability to certain stress-related symptoms. This suggests that these personality tests do not necessarily 'go up' in a traditional sense, but rather, the scores may reflect changes in personality traits or vulnerabilities as a result of their work environment and experiences.
Reliability scales are used to measure an instrument's consistency over time. This is a crucial aspect of personality tests like the MMPI-2-RF, which strives to offer consistent results across multiple testing periods. When considering the use of personality tests in an I-O (Industrial-Organizational) context, it's not only about whether scores go up, but how well these tests can predict job performance and identify traits that may impact an officer's career and wellbeing over time.
As for the correlation between different types of tests, while intelligence tests, integrity tests, and physical tests might also be used alongside personality tests in various employment contexts, it's not a given that an increase in one type of test correlates directly with an increase in others. Each test serves a different purpose and measures different aspects of an individual's abilities and characteristics.