1980-1981 Design of Assessment Protocol

• As a member of The Upper Midwest Human Factors Society in Minneapolis, MN, Ms. Key worked and consulted with engineers and ergonomists from 3M, Control Data and Honeywell.
• Key’s industrial consultants facilitated the incorporation of accurate heights and distances as well as motions and movements in the equipment and assessment to replicate the needs of the industry instead of attempting to extrapolate information out of medical evaluations.

Statistical Base of Assessment

• Ms. Key administered an MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) as part of all initial assessments. In addition to the actual tested levels of lifting, pushing, pulling and carrying, numerous pieces of data such as heart rates and dynamometer readings were also recorded and analyzed.
• Formulas were developed following previous research on heart rates. Based on interfacing the heart rates, weights achieved patterns, dynamometer readings and the MMPI results, determinations were made about the client’s validity of participation. Were they demonstrating their full capability?
• Andrew Ahlgren, Ed.D., Director of the Statistics Department at the University of Minnesota, was contracted to review the first 100 assessment results that were based on the formulas mentioned above. Dr. Ahlgren determined that the formulas were of value and compliance.
• At Dr. Ahlgren’s recommendation, the formulas for the determination of a client’s participation level were analyzed and validated by Personnel Decisions, Inc., a company based in Minnesota that produces employee testing tools, studies hiring and employment statistics and analyzes data.
• With the guidance of the Decision Science Program at the University of Minnesota and the consultation and assistance of Decision Science, Inc., KEY developed a decision matrix that utilizes those formulas and assists the Assessor in making the determination of a client’s validity of participation.
• This KEY method of attaining the validity of participation is what is still used today at KEY Functional Assessments.