Frequently asked questions of the Cognitive Process Profile

A “Process Approach” to assessing and developing problem solving competencies

"Intellect is the most important competency in the modern working environment," according to James Quinn, author of best selling commentaries on successful business, Innovation Explosion and Intelligent Enterprise.

When the research findings of the many business success studies and psychological research are distilled, the consensus is that intellect is a good predictor of success. The questions we need to ask are:

• What aspects of intellect are relevant to problem solving in modern business?
• Which tools provide an accurate simulation of the thinking skills required in business?

Most psychologists are embarrassed by the paucity of relevant information derived from traditional Verbal, Numerical and Abstract tests, yet have not come up with alternatives. The Cognitive Process Profile (CPP) has distinguished itself as different, innovative and insightful.

Frequently asked questions:

• Why should my organisation be using modern assessment methods?
• Can intellectual talent provide a competitive advantage?
• What is the CPP?
• Is it just another IQ test?
• When should clients use the CPP?
• What feedback does the candidate get?
• How reliable is the CPP?
• Where do I find out more?
  

Why should my organisation be using modern assessment methods?

More successful organisations tend to apply rigorous methods to screen for recruitment and promotion. We offer the means to accurately and efficiently take a reading of the potential of individuals and advise on their developmental needs, to optimise the value they add as future executives in the organisation.

Intellect, knowledge and software frequently create most of the competitive edge and value-added benefits for companies. In today’s rapidly changing marketplace, companies need to ensure that they secure and retain the best management talent. Investment in new technology will only contribute to higher profitability if people are appropriately matched to the new job requirements. The CPP allows you to increase your confidence in making people decisions.

Using the CPP will reduce business risk by providing essential information on how key decision makers are likely to function. For example in start-ups or following M&A activity where it is critical to:

• Ensure that the top team has what it takes to work co-operatively to solve problems.
• Increase innovation and effective change management.
• Avoid costly mistakes and trial and error learning when entering uncharted waters.
• Improve profitability and competitiveness.
• Speed up growth.

Can intellectual talent provide a competitive advantage?

The most recent research on Management in the UK by JQA associate and “Role Transition Expert”, Alan Robertson, shows that it takes up to 18 months for newly appointed managers to make successful transitions in their new roles. Knowing the intellectual profile of people who can adapt to changing demands is of strategic importance in maintaining your competitive edge.

The assessment of the way people think and learn is very important. To a large extent, an individual’s thinking and learning capacity determines the kind of complexity they can handle best and the kinds of tasks to which they are best and least suited. The CPP provides clear guidance as to whether an individual’s strengths lie in their focus on achieving short term results or whether they tend to deal with more abstract issues over a longer time frame. Getting these individuals matched to the wrong challenges will have a major adverse impact on the organisation.

This area of assessment is referred to as cognition, and the CPP has been developed to provide a comprehensive analysis of an individual’s:

• Problem solving strategies and competencies.
• Preferred thinking styles (16 styles are measured).
• Suggested work environment best suited to problem solving approach.
• Assessment of strengths, development areas and learning potential.
  

What is the CPP?

The Cognitive Process Profile (CPP) is:

• Technology that matches people to the changing demands of work.
• Computer based, self-administered, assessment of problem solving in the form of a simulated card exercises which takes approximately two hours to complete, unobtrusively gathering over 10,000 measures of how people solve novel problems.
• A means of observing what is happening inside the black box of the mind through the examination of how individuals explore new information, analyse, structure, and reason.
• An assessment of their use of concepts, memory strategies and ability to incorporate new learning.
• A way of showing current and potential suitability for work at different levels, from purely operational to strategic, giving the company an insight into future capability of individuals.
• A decision-making support tool that provides a comprehensive report showing the candidate’s strengths, development areas and goodness of fit for job requirements.

View a sample report (PDF, 601Kb) of the Cognitive Process Profile
Download a sample report of the Cognitive Process Profile (PDF, 582Kb)

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Is it just another IQ test?

No – the CPP provides a rich output for identifying talent, training and development purposes.

• IQ tests tend to measure analytical thinking in highly structured environments like schools, not the intuitive weighing up of fuzzy possibilities in modern business.
• IQ tests focus on acquired skills; the CPP also focuses on learning potential to change and adapt by using judgement when things become ambiguous or fuzzy.
• IQ tests have single correct outcomes or answers but the CPP describes the processing route the person uses in getting to an answer.
• Because IQ tests focus on the product of thinking and not the process, they are of limited use for diagnostic or development purposes.

Most ability tests reflect the person’s existing ability to deal with verbal, numerical, spatial, mathematical, musical and mechanical problems – the CPP measures improvements in solving novel problems and the improvement from one item to another and provides an index of learning potential.

When should clients use the CPP?

The CPP should be used to:

• Make decisions about key professionals or executives without knowing a lot about the candidates.
• Ensure that new entrants add to the pool of intellectual talent which generates profits and takes the initiative in solving problems.
• Assess future development potential and plan career paths for staff.
• Identify the best person for a new challenge.
  

What feedback does the candidate get?

How reliable is the CPP?

The CPP is the product of extensive research spanning 10 years. A comprehensive research manual is available on request. It includes a variety of studies in different cultural contexts which have demonstrated its value in predicting success in work environments in multinational companies and in institutions of higher learning.

It is the instrument of choice for a number of multinational organisations such as Old Mutual and Anglo American Plc. In Royal Mail, CPP has helped 220 managers clarify their career goals and develop more of their potential for problem solving. Large multinationals have used CPP together with other psychometric instruments to recruit high potential candidates for offshore appointments.

Research in a “Big Five” Accounting firm showed that only those candidates who showed Level 3 systems thinking were able to pass the Accountancy Board Examinations. One of many other studies clearly showed that CPP results of Black Engineering students reliably predicted examination results.

Other studies have shown that CPP does not have gender or race bias. One of the outstanding features is that it has been demonstrated to support fairness in assessment.

Validity studies have confirmed that CPP measures aspects of intellectual functioning with the accuracy of more established cognitive tests, but that the features of the CPP go well beyond IQ tests.

Where do I find out more?

Please outline your needs to info@jqassociates.com for a quotation on training, software and reports. The CPP can be used in assessments conducted by our consultants or your HR staff can be trained to use CPP within your company.

Telephone/Fax: +44 (0) 1423 547853
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