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A review of military pilot selection.
Military pilot selection is a complex task involving huge cost in financial and human terms. In the United Kingdom, training a fast-jet pilot costs an estimated 3 million pounds and takes 3 years. Consequently, it is necessary that the training success rate be maximal, since failure not only represents financial loss but also wastage of human resources. Effective selection for flying training would be of special advantage at present, as the operational repertoire of military aircraft moves forwards. Personality-based selection appears to have limited value. Analysis of certain objective aptitude tests and monitoring of the learning curve appear more promising. The alternative of acquisition of flying skills through actual or simulated flying experience seems an expensive option. This paper reviews the development of selection methods and concentrates on those of current interest. Civilian aviation and other professional selection systems might also benefit from the military endeavors. The most exciting development is the linkage of computer technology and aptitude tests.
Effects of direct instruction in Spanish phonology on the native-language skills and foreign-language aptitude of at-risk foreign-language learners.
This study examined the effect of an academic year of direct instruction in the phonology/orthography of Spanish on the native-language skills and foreign-language aptitude of high school women identified as at risk (n = 14) and not at risk (n = 19) for experiencing problems with learning a foreign language. At-risk students received a specialized teaching approach; not-at-risk students received traditional foreign-language instruction. Pre- and posttest results showed that both groups improved significantly on a foreign-language aptitude test, and the at-risk group made significant gains on native-language phonology/orthography measures. Pretest comparisons showed significant between-group differences on several phonological/orthographic measures and the foreign-language aptitude test. Posttest comparisons showed that the not-at-risk subjects still scored significantly higher than at-risk subjects on the foreign-language aptitude measure; no differences were noted on two native-language phonological/orthographic measures. Pre- and posttest comparisons between groups showed that the at-risk group made significantly greater gains than the not-at-risk group on phonological/orthographic measures. Implications for instruction are presented.
Lateral eye-movement consistency and academic aptitude: failure to replicate.
Scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test were compared for 52 right and 46 left Ss directionally consistent and directionally inconsistent (n = 62) for conjugate lateral eye movements elicited by reflection in interpreting a series of 10 proverbs. The finding of lower Scholastic Aptitude Test scores for Ss inconsistent in direction of eye movement (Weiten & Etaugh, 1974) was not confirmed.
[Examination of automobile driving license eligibility from the viewpoint of drivers apprehended for alcohol infractions].
80 DUI-offenders whose aptitude had been judged insufficient after their first aptitude test, underwent a second, higher level test. They were then interviewed about the conduction of these drivers aptitude tests. The test duration of 1-2 hours was considered to be sufficient. Less than one third of all interviewees thought that an objective judgement of the questioning would not be possible. Exam anxiety occurred only very occasionally during the questioning. Explanations about general problems and about the testing objectives given at the beginning of the tests were said to have been very helpful. Such relevant information should be given not only to the participants but also to their solicitors and GPs.
Arthroscopic and endoscopic skills: a method of assessment.
An aptitude test has been designed to assess the psychomotor ability of surgeons under the special conditions and difficulties of endoscopic surgery. Results show increased errors and inferior tracking skill when images are rotated or reflected under test conditions simulating endoscopy. This indicates that more than simple hand-eye co-ordination is required to perform good endoscopic surgery. Interestingly, a proportion of trainee surgeons found adaptation to these altered conditions difficult to master. This aptitude test might usefully identify junior surgeons who would benefit from extra tuition at instructional endoscopic courses. The implications for the selection and training of surgeons are discussed.
Relationships between surgical ability ratings and spatial abilities and personality.
Twenty-two trainee surgeons were tested on high level tests of intelligence, a detailed battery of paper-and-pencil and computerized spatial ability tests, and personality tests. They were also rated for operating ability, clinical decision-making ability, and for overall performance by consultant surgeons who knew them well. Ability ratings were high, indicating very little dissatisfaction with the performance of trainee surgeons. There were no significant correlations between surgical ability ratings and intelligence test scores. The only significant correlation between spatial ability and ability ratings was with one subtest, and was in the opposite direction to that expected. Trends in the data suggested that those trainees rated as superior tended to be more introverted and conscientious, and tended to have better stereoscopic depth perception. The discussion questions the necessity for aptitude testing in surgery and points out some statistical pitfalls in the area. It is concluded that little advance may be made with the application of aptitude testing in the selection of surgeons until there are more objective criteria of surgical ability in different surgical specialties.
The short form test of academic aptitude (SFTAA) as a determinant of minimal brain dysfunction in children.
The Short Form Test of Academic Aptitude (SFTAA) has been found to yield results comparable to the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. With this in mind, it was hypothesized that children with minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) would obtain significantly different results on the SFTAA than children without MBD. Two studies (N = 40 and N = 72) using randomly selected MBD and non-MBD third-grade children supported the hypothesis. In Study I, the MBD and non-MBD children were matched on IQ; in Study II, they were not. Study I found that MBD children scored better than non-MBD children on subtest four (memory). Study II illustrated an apparent reversal of this finding and concluded that IQ must be considered in this type of investigation, since it tends to mask aptitude test results.
Intercorrelations among rhythm subtests of three tests of musical aptitude.
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AVMA and AAVMC criticize proposed regulation of testing.
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[Evaluation of color discrimination test (modified Farnsworth Munsell 100-hues test) for occupational aptitude].
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The aptitude-achievement test distinction: a study of unrelated children reared together.
Unrelated children reared together (N = 156) in 71 different families included in the Texas Adoption Project were compared for similarities on intelligence and achievement tests. The purpose was to see if a distinction between the two types of tests based on their heritabilities could be sustained. Results indicated no substantial differences in correlations for the two types of tests, and hence little or no support for the notion of an aptitude-achievement distinction based on differential heritabilities.
School achievement, intelligence, and personality in twins.
A sample of 47 MZ and 49 DZ pairs of Brazilian twins was investigated in relation to school achievement in six specific areas of study, as well as performance in the test of Dominoes, the Differential Aptitude Tests (DAT) and Grieger's Characterological Qur the school grades obtained in five of the six areas considered, as well as for their general average; the same being true for the results on the indicated measure of general intelligence, six of the eight DAT tests, and two of the characterological elements. There is a clear positive relationship between the grades earned by the twins and their performance in the Dominoes test. Achievement in Portuguese and foreign language correlates positively with DAT's Numerical Ability, Abstract Reasoning, and Clerical Speed and Accuracy. The results show an agreement with previous estimates of the genetic determination of these variables, which is to a certain extenet surprising if we consider the differences in sample sizes, age, and degree of schooling of the subjects, environmental differences, and the dissimilarities which exist between the homes and school systems of USA, Europe, and Brazil.
The influence of age, education, IQ, gender, and alcohol abuse on Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery performance.
This article highlights trends that show the influence of age, education, IQ, gender, and alcohol abuse on Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery (HRB) performance. These factors must be considered as possible competing hypotheses that might account for a patient's HRB performance. HRB scores among normal, community-living persons can resemble scores of individuals with known neuropsychological impairment due only to the effects of these variables. Accordingly, when clinical neuropsychologists use "levels of current performance" or research based "cut-off score" methods to make inferences about the adequacy of brain function, appropriate comparison norms must be used to minimize the likelihood of false-positive errors. This paper summarizes and provides references to some of these comparison norms. Additionally, robust estimates of premorbid ability are essential when one is making neuropsychological inferences. Such estimates can be obtained from nationally standardized measures of intellectual ability found on most grade and high school transcripts, as well as Scholastic Aptitude Test, military, and related aptitude test scores, plus the individual's social and occupational history.
College women with differential linguistic-quantitative ability patterns: performance on two visual serial-search tasks.
Two groups of 14 college women, equated on College Entrance Examination Board Scholastic Aptitude Test scores but showing a discrepancy of at least 150 points between the scores on the Verbal and Mathematical Aptitude Test, were compared on two visual serial-search tasks; a 2 X 2 mixed factorial design was used. There was a trend in the direction of more rapid visual serial-search by the low linguistic-high quantitative subjects than for the high linguistic-low quantitative subjects. Consonant with earlier findings, visual serial-search time was significantly faster for number targets than for letter targets. Between ability patterns and target characteristics there was no significant interaction. The need to include more complex visual serial-tracking tasks in any reexamination of the observed results was noted.
[Test performance with minimal alcoholic intoxication].
Driving ability of 34 males under minor influence of alcohol was tested at the ART 90 test unit of the Austrian Road Safety Board. Furthermore, 22 males not under the influence of alcohol, formed part of the sober control group. Some months previously, all volunteers had completed a driver aptitude test consisting of identical tests for all participants. Therefore a before-and-after analysis as well as a comparison of the different groups could be carried out by means of MANOVA. A high motivational level was guaranteed in the first tests as all test persons' driver qualification depended on the results of their driver aptitude tests. Months later they were invited to participate in this study on a voluntary basis. The second tests took place immediately after a social evening at which 8 volunteers were present at any one time. To create conditions as near to reality as possible, only alcohol that would be readily available to the public was served. An entertainer ensured an equally cheerful and relaxed atmosphere in both the experimental and control groups. Alcohol levels were measured by means of the Siemens breathalyser. Results show that as early as an average alcohol level of 0.67/1000 performance is significantly impaired: three times more errors in concentration tests, twice as many errors in reaction tests, twice as many observation errors in visual structuring and a considerable reduction of reactive stress tolerance. On the other hand quantitative dimensions of performance such as reaction time are not significantly impaired. In addition, the readiness to take risks increases with alcohol consumption as is shown by means of questionnaire.
Correlation of admission criteria with dental school performance and attrition.
This study was conducted to provide current information on the relationship between admission criteria and dental school performance, including the association of admission criteria and dental school outcomes such as remediation and attrition. Standard tests of bivariate association and multivariate regression models appropriate for continuous and discrete dependent variables were used to examine the relationship between multiple indicators of admission criteria and dental school performance for six recent classes at the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD). The admission criteria included the undergraduate science grade point average (GPA), undergraduate non-science GPA, Dental Admissions Test (DAT) academic score, Perceptual Motor Aptitude Test (PMAT) score, and admission interview score. Measures of dental school performance were the National Dental Board Examination Part I and Part II (NB-I, NB-II) scores, yearly and final dental school GPA, and academic progress through the UFCD program. In general, most admission criteria were good bivariate indicators of dental school performance. Multivariate analyses indicated that students with higher undergraduate science GPAs and DAT academic scores were more likely to achieve higher NB-I and NB-II scores. The undergraduate science GPA and admission interview score were the most consistent determinants of dental school GPA. Students with lower undergraduate science GPAs, DAT academic scores, and PMAT scores were more likely to remediate, to repeat an academic year, or to be dismissed. Although bivariate differences were observed in several admission criteria of students who remediated one or more courses, repeated an academic year, or were dismissed only the undergraduate science GPA and the PMAT score were indicators of programmatic progress in the multivariate analysis.
Longitudinal study of medical students selected for admission to medical school by actuarial and committee methods.
This study evaluates a "mid period" follow-up evaluation of the outcomes of selection of medical students by customary committee review procedures versus actuarial selection. One-third of a freshman class was selected solely on the basis of a predictor index which was a previously validated, optimally weighted combination of scores on the Medical College Aptitude Test and the premedical grade-point average. The remaining two-thirds were selected by committee decision based on review of the total application file which, in addition to the aptitude test scores and academic record, included basic demographic data, information on extracurricular activities, avocational interests, work experience, letters of recommendation, personality test profiles, and interview impressions. In a previous study, it was reported that the two groups of students were undifferentiated with respect to their academic standing at the close of their sophomore year. In the present study, the actuarially selected and committee selected students were compared on class rank at the end of the junior year, total and subtest scores on part II of the National Board Examinations administered toward the close of their senior year, and type and location of internship, and practice or training status one year after graduation. The two groups were not reliably differentiated on any of these variables. Implications of the findings are discussed with respect to reliability, efficiency, and economy in the selection process and the function of the admissions committees with respect to borderline cases and issues of school policy and philosophy.