Officer Individual Differences: Predicting Long-Term Continuance and Performance in the U.S. Army
Abstract
This project investigated individual differences in knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality traits as contributors to long-term career continuance and performance. The research was done to help inform the implementation of new officer selection tests. This effort built upon an existing dataset consisting of test scores from an extensive test battery administered to Army officers in 1992 and 1993. Long-term criteria (i.e., career continuance and highest rank achieved) were retrieved from the Officer Longitudinal Research Data Base (OLRDB), which contained officer personnel records updated through FY 2008. Several individual difference measures were found to predict long-term officer continuance and advancement, such as: complex problem solving, creative thinking skills, tolerance for ambiguity, and responsibility. These findings will help inform ARI?s ongoing research efforts to develop new selection tests for officer candidates that enhance officer career continuance and performance. Particular attention should be directed at measures of complex problem solving and creative thinking skills as these were found to be efficient predictors of the criteria of interest. In addition, these cognitively based selection tools may be supplemented with social, motivational, and personality measures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA566745
Entities
People
- Jordan M. Robbins
- Lindsey N. Bartholomew
- Mark C. Young
- Robert N. Kilcullen
- Shane Connelly
- Stephen J. Zaccaro
- Veronica L. Gilrane
- Winnie Young
Organizations
- George Mason University