Correction for Range Restriction in Meta-Analysis Revisited : Improvements and Implications for Organizational Research

In the current study, we present a more accurate method for correcting for range restriction (Case V) that expands upon Bryant and Gokhale’s (1972) method. We further present detailed steps to incorporate the Case V method into Schmidt and Hunter’s (2015; Hunter & Schmidt, 2004) psychometric meta-analysis methods (both individual correction and artifact distribution approaches). We then evaluate the accuracy of the Case V method vis-à-vis existing methods. Monte-Carlo simulation results indicate that the Case V method provides very accurate estimates for the mean true score correlation and reasonably accurate estimates for the true standard deviation. More importantly, Case V almost always provides more accurate results than alternative methods (particularly, Case IV). To illustrate how the Case V method works with real data, we conduct a reanalysis of Judge, Heller, and Mount’s (2002) meta-analysis examining the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and job satisfaction. Results indicate that the true score correlations between the Big Five traits and job satisfaction have been underestimated, whereas their true standard deviations have been overestimated. Implications for range restriction corrections in organizational research are discussed