In Michael McIntyre and Larry James' test, developed at the University of Tennessee, job applicants aren't told what they're being screened for. Here are two of the test's questions and information on responses. People don't know what's being measured. Braverman hasn't seen the test, but he says he's skeptical. But it's not a test for violence.
Violence is a behavior, and that comes as a result of many factors interacting.
But McIntyre says he thinks that unless a person already is aggressive or hostile by nature, he's not going to become so unraveled by personal adversity as to kill. One thing I've learned about workplace violence is that it's not about predicting who's going to be violent, it's about what kind of environment you're creating for human beings in your workplace, both in terms of the kind of stress that creates violence, and in terms of whether people who are impaired and breaking down get the kind of attention and care that they need. It's the rare person who pulls out an AK-47 in response. He was predisposed to act aggressively and finally acted out. But the people we're talking about tend to seek out and create these situations.