REALTRAIN Improves Soldier Attitudes toward the Army
Abstract
Although the Army is concerned primarily with improving the combat readiness of its units, there is a growing orientation toward enhancing the job motivation and satisfaction of soldiers. To improve the psychological rewards that are derived from training, the Army Research Institute has developed a family of techniques for simulating battlefields conditions. These techniques are known collectively as Engagement Simulation (ES). The squad and platoon level application of ES is referred to as REALTRAIN. REALTRAIN can be distinguished from more conventional training along a number of dimensions including the degree of operating constraints in the exercises, type of casualty assessment, nature of evaluative feedback, and sequence of training procedures. The results indicated that along six of the nine motivation/satisfaction dimensions, responses were more positive following participation in REALTRAIN than before its implementation. Along the remaining three dimensions, no change was observed in the before and after measures of motivation/satisfaction. However, for the conventional exercises, no change was seen in the before and after responses of participants along five of the six motivation/satisfaction dimensions. Along the remaining dimension, a decline occurred in the satisfaction level evidence by participants in the conventional training.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA072334
Entities
People
- Paul R. Bleda
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences