Psychological and Physical Performance Characteristics of Successful Explosive Ordnance Diver Technicians
Abstract
This report describes the development of testing procedures to select students for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training and thereby reduce attrition in this technical training specialty. In a longitudinal study of Navy EOD students (N=145), a battery of tests including a vocational preference measure, a personality measure, and a set of physical performance measures correlated .51, .47, and .61 respectively with second class diving certification, EOD course completion, and performance in the fleet. In a predictive validation study of apprentice Army and Navy EOD students (N=179), a 44-item personality measure emphasizing elements of academic motivation, self- confidence, self-control, and self-sufficiency correlated .38 with successful course completion. The military and cognitive measure, ASVAB, did not predict training performance in either study. Use of such validated measures for personnel selection should substantially alleviate attrition during both full and apprentice EOD training and also identify those who are likely to remain in EOD work subsequent to training. Keywords include: Military personnel; Attrition; Validation; Personality tests; Bomb disposal; Physical fitness.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA157947
Entities
People
- J. Hogan
- R. Hogan
Organizations
- University of Tulsa