ABSTRACT
This chapter shows whether assessment center (AC) exercises need to be designed differently from what was done in the past. AC exercises have been around since World War I and their longevity attests to their success. The chapter explains the theory behind the revised exercise design approach and reports on program of research related to this new approach. It discusses some other possible applications in the AC domain that are congruent with this revised exercise design approach. The AC Guidelines have underscored the importance of the observability of behavior. Hence, an important argument for using situational stimuli is based on the key assumption that they should increase the number of observations per dimension noted down by assessors. Traditionally, AC exercises are held in high regard by participants. However, the use of situational stimuli might also have an impact on how participants perceive AC exercises.
