Psychobiological Predictors of Success in a Navy Remedial Reading Program.
Abstract
Early discharge of enlisted men for unsuitability is a serious and growing problem for the military services. The presently available methods of identifying the failure prone recruit are not adequate. The purposes of this research were: (1) To investigate newly developed computer-based methods of recording and analyzing electrophysiological measures and to determine their value in identifying recruits at high risk of premature discharge, and (2) to determine how psychobiological methods might be used in individualizing instruction or otherwise improving the remediability of the failure-prone recruit. Visual evoked potentials were used to derive measures of amplitude, asymmetry, variance, and latency. Data were gathered for 73 recruits who had been assigned to Academic Remedial Training (ART). Correlational and discriminant analyses of the data found that several of the evoked potential measures appeared to be of value in distinguishing those recruits who later graduated and went on to active duty (N = 32) from those who failed remedial training and were discharged (N = 41). Follow-up studies have been initiated to determine if the results can be confirmed on additional recruit samples and if more sophisticated software and statistical methods can improve the predictive values of the psychobiological approach. Alternative forms of remediation will be recommended for those for whom present techniques are least appropriate. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA037339
Entities
People
- Bernard Rimland
- Enoch Callaway Iii.
- Gregory W. Lewis
Organizations
- Bureau of Naval Personnel