Personality differences among men in selected Air Force specialties.

Notes that job placement based on aptitude has provided the human resources necessary to perform the U.S. Air Force mission but has not produced a work force that is satisfied with the duty assignments. A consideration of enlistee personality and interests might refine this job placement system. To determine if personality differences exist among 108 male career officers in selected Air Force specialties, Ss were given the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI). The specialties were compared further by means of the Environmental Assessment Technique (EAT). Significant differences among the specialties of electronics technician, administrative specialist, inflight refueling operator specialist, and security policeman were found on VPI Realistic, Intellectual, Self-Control, and Status scales. In general, the EAT did not differentiate among the specialties. Implications for counselors of prospective and enlisted airmen are drawn. Further research of this type is recommended to provide the data necessary for more refined and effective job placement in the Air Force. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inventoried vocational interests of cartographers.

Studied the interests of 466 male cartographers to develop a cartographer scale for the Strong Vocational Interest Blank (SVIB). Results show that (a) cartographers liked science, mathematics, and religious activities; (b) they were masculine and diverse and tended to dislike activities involving other people; and (c) their interests were most similar to those of computer programers, public administrators, Air Force officers, and physical therapists though none of those SVIB keys adequately portrayed the interests of the cartographers. The cartographer key developed was cross-validated on 2 cartographer samples drawn from other populations (n = 89) and was found to discriminate adequately between cartographers and men in general. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between measured interest patterns and satisfactory vocational adjustment for Air Force officers in the comptroller and personnel fields.

Comparison of personnel data sheet responses and Strong VIB scores for 243 comptroller officers and 1155 personnel officers led to the conclusion that the SVIB reflects the degree of satisfactory adjustment for Air Force officers in each field. For both groups, a significantly larger proportion of those Ss with SVIB patterns most similar to the SVIB patterns of their civilian counterparts express a preference for the Air Force specialty in which they are and a preference to engage in the activity in civilian life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical dilemmas and U.S. Air Force clinical psychologists: A survey.

Although psychologists work in widely varying settings, all encounter ethical dilemmas. Those who are also officers in the U.S. Air Force have the double burden of upholding the ethics code of psychologists while also supporting the mission of the Air Force. Does this create unique ethical dilemmas? To address this issue, the authors sent active-duty Air Force psychologists a questionnaire asking them to describe recent ethical conflicts. These conflicts are discussed as they relate to the "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct" (American Psychological Association, 1992) and in comparison with civilian practice. Results suggest a broad range of concerns but center on those related to perceived conflicts between the Air Force mission and the ethical demands of psychologists. Recommendations for dealing with ethical conflicts at the organizational level are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adaptability measures as predictors of performance ratings.

How well do measures of temperamental and motivational characteristics in training predict success of performance of officers as indicated by Officer Effectiveness Ratings? S were selected from 666 cadets at one base and 69 at another. Variables used were 3 global indicies of adaptability and 10 variables representing the common factors. "(a) measures of adaptability to training and Air Force Life are more highly related to later officer performance than are measures of aptitude or ability; (b) assessments of a man's functioning involving personal judgments of peers, superiors, and experts are predictive of later performance as an Air Force officer." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

An epidemiological investigation of eperythrozoon infection in human and animals (II)

This is the second of two studies done to determine whether moderate Gz exposure facilitates back disability. Cumulative trauma (repeated moderate to high G) exposures could be a precipitant of back pain in the military population. There is at present no reliable method of predicting who will suffer from back pain. We looked at officer back disability rates at separation from the Air Force (1972-1993). We compared non-rated Air Force officers to pilots and navigators exposed to low G and moderate to high G. We found no significant differences between aircrew and non-aircrew individuals until 1985, when the rates for aircrew fell below those of non-rated officers. Moderate G exposure does not seem to be a predictor of subsequent back disability. We recommend a larger prospective study of all rated and non-rated officers. We recommend that each separating officer undergo a detailed physical examination and answer a detailed back questionnaire.     

Role of ability and prior knowledge in complex training performance.

A causal model of the role of general cognitive ability and prior job knowledge in subsequent job-knowledge acquisition and work-sample performance during training was developed. Participants were 3,428 US Air Force officers in pilot training. The measures of ability and prior job knowledge came from the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test. The measures of job knowledge acquired during training were derived from classroom grades. Work-sample measures came from check flight ratings. The causal model showed that ability directly influenced the acquisition of job knowledge. General cognitive ability influenced work samples through job knowledge. Prior job knowledge had almost no influence on subsequent job knowledge but directly influenced the early work sample. Early training job knowledge influenced subsequent job knowledge and work-sample performance. Finally, early work-sample performance strongly influenced subsequent work-sample performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subscore patterns on ACE Psychological Examination related to educational and occupational differences.

For a sample of 446 Air Force officers who had taken the ACE Psychological Exam, Q-L difference scores were related to rating (flying or ground), assignment (regular or reserve corps), career field, and college major. It was found that pilots tended to have higher Q scores, non-pilots higher L scores; arts and science college majors higher L scores, applied science college majors (engineering and business) higher Q scores. No difference was found in the Q-L patterns of reservists and regular officers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of small group role behavior from personality variables.

"A sample of 819 Air Force officers was administered a test battery designed to predict the individual's role in small group situations. This battery was factor analyzed, yielding four factors: Assertiveness, Power Orientation, Rigidity, and Aggressive Nonconformity." Assertiveness correlated best with the predicted small group behavior. 24 refs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Level of nitric oxide-dependent cGMP in patients with migraine

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is one of the nation's military universities, with the mission to educate and motivate cadets to be career Air Force officers. This diverse population arrives at the USAFA with varying immunization records and disease histories. A review of USAFA cadet medical records identified an alarming cost of treating a simple, preventable, generally childhood disease: chickenpox. In July 1995, a cost-benefit analysis was performed on the use of varicella vaccine among cadets and preparatory school students at the USAFA. Based on this analysis, the USAFA implemented a strategy of serologic screening and vaccination. Although this study does not establish causation, follow-up data showed a dramatic decrease in cases, associated hospitalizations, and therefore costs during the first year after implementation. Fiscal projections indicate that these costs savings should increase through year 4 of the program and continue thereafter. At year 4, the total cadet population will have been serologically screened and/or vaccinated against chickenpox.     

Self versus ideal self: A comparison of five Adjective Check List indices.

Defined 5 self vs ideal-self measures on the 300-item Adjective Check List. Overall congruence was indexed by the phi coefficient for items and by the sum of the absolute differences on standard scores for the 24 scales (D-T). The absolute differences on the 24 scales were also correlated and factored in 2 samples: 100 American Air Force officers (mean age, 33.6 yrs) and 95 Italian young men (mean age, 15.5 yrs) applying for a national precollege military training school. Three factors common to both samples were identified. D-1, D-2, and D-3 measures of dissimilarity were obtained by summing the absolute differences on just those scales assignable to each of the 3 factors. Analyses of observers' ratings in the sample of American officers revealed phi, D-T, and D-1 to be indicative of superior personal and social adjustment and D-2 to suggest goal-oriented efficiency and diligence. D-3 had unfavorable connotations. It is concluded that internal components of self-ideal congruence have differential implications that over all measures will obscure or even fail to detect. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pregnancy planning and the impact on work climate, psychological well-being, and work effort in the military.

This study examined the joint effects of demographics and pregnancy planning and timing on work climate, psychological well-being, and work effort among 345 pregnant U.S. military women from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Rank predicted both pregnancy planning and career timing. Pregnancy planning was positively associated with support from coworkers and supervisors and with enhanced work effort and psychological well-being. Pregnancy timing was positively associated with support from supervisors, reduced harassment, and increased psychological well-being. Rank interacted with the planning and timing measures. Junior officers and enlisted participants reported reduced command and pregnancy support and increased harassment in conjunction with poorly timed pregnancies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The frame of reference of flying instructors.

The failure rates in Air Force and Naval trainees trained side by side are examined. "The method of selection of Air Force trainees was altered at a given point of time, but… [for] the Naval trainees remained unaltered. Although no significant change was noted in the failure rate in the Air Force trainees, the failure rate in Naval trainees rose steeply. It was argued that this change in the failure rate of the Naval trainees could be explained in terms of a change in the frame of reference of flying instructors." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tensile flow and fracture behavior of

The tensile properties, fracture modes, and deformation mechanisms of two DO₃ alloys, Fe-25 and Fe-31 at. pct Al, have been investigated as a function of temperature up to 600 °C. The first alloy was produced by powder metallurgy and hot-extrusion, the second by casting and hot-extrusion. At room temperature extensive plastic deformation occurs in these intermetallics, exhibiting an elongation to fracture of 8 pct and 5.6 pct, respectively. In the Fe-25Al alloy the deformation process consisted of motion and extensive cross-slip of ordinary dislocations and associated formation of antiphase-boundary (APB) bands, while in the Fe-31Al alloy, plasticity occurred by the motion of superlattice dislocations which eventually dissociated to form APB bands. At room temperature both alloys exhibited transgranular cleavage fracture modes. The variation of tensile properties and fracture modes with temperature is presented. Formerly with the Materials Laboratory of the Air Force Wright Formerly with the Materials Laboratory of the Air Force Wright Formerly with the Materials Laboratory of the Air Force Wright     

Analysis of the Design-Build Delivery Method in Air Force Construction Projects

The design-build (DB) method for construction project delivery continues to grow in both the private and public sector; additionally, research has shown that the DB method outperforms the design-bid-build (DBB) method. The Air Force has applied the results of these previous research efforts to its military construction (MILCON) program without performing empirical studies to validate the approach. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the performance of the DB delivery method with the traditional DBB approach for the Air Force MILCON program. Data related to 835 (278 DB and 557 DBB) MILCON projects for fiscal years 1996–2006 were subsequently analyzed. The DB method had better performance in three of six metrics with the performance being significantly better for cost growth and the number of modifications per million dollars. The traditional DBB method performed significantly better in terms of total project time. Furthermore, the DB method was best suited for various facility types. This study provides empirical evidence of how the DB method provides an advantage over the traditional DBB method for Air Force MILCON projects.     

Hazardous drinking and military community functioning: Identifying mediating risk factors.

Objective: Hazardous drinking is a serious societal concern in military populations. Efforts to reduce hazardous drinking among military personnel have been limited in effectiveness. There is a need for a deeper understanding of how community-based prevention models apply to hazardous drinking in the military. Community-wide prevention efforts may be most effective in targeting community functioning (e.g., support from formal agencies, community cohesion) that impacts hazardous drinking via other proximal risk factors. The goal of the current study is to inform community-wide prevention efforts by testing a model of community functioning and mediating risk factors of hazardous drinking among active duty U.S. Air Force personnel. Method: A large, representative survey sample of U.S. Air Force active duty members (N = 52,780) was collected at 82 bases worldwide. Hazardous drinking was assessed with the widely used Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Saunders, Aasland, Babor, de la Fuente, & Grant, 1993). A variety of individual, family, and community measures were also assessed. Structural equation modeling was used to test a hypothesized model of community functioning, mediating risk factors and hazardous drinking. Results: Depressive symptoms, perceived financial stress, and satisfaction with the U.S. Air Force were identified as significant mediators of the link between community functioning and hazardous drinking for men and women. Relationship satisfaction was also identified as a mediator for men. Conclusions: These results provide a framework for further community prevention research and suggest that prevention efforts geared at increasing aspects of community functioning (e.g., the U.S. Air Force Community Capacity model) may indirectly lead to reductions in hazardous drinking through other proximal risk factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy for careers and occupational consideration in minority high school equivalency students.

A. Bandura's (1977, 1986) self-efficacy theory was tested with 85 minority high school equivalency students from seasonal farm worker backgrounds. Students' self-efficacy expectations (i.e., beliefs about their ability to learn to successfully do specific occupations), interests, and perceived incentives satisfaction for specific occupations predicted their willingness to consider the occupations. Students' generality of self-efficacy (i.e., the range of occupations for which they feel efficacious) was related to the range of occupations they considered but not to their aptitude. Both men and women reported greater self-efficacy and willingness to consider occupations dominated by their own gender, with women showing a greater tendency to reject occupations dominated by the opposite gender. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence that task performance should be distinguished from contextual performance.

Tests the merit of the distinction made by W. C. Borman and S. J. Motowidlo (1993) between task performance and contextual performance. Supervisors rated 421 US Air Force mechanics on their task performance, contextual performance, and overall performance. Data on length of Air Force experience, ability, training performance, and personality were also available for many of these mechanics. Results show that both task performance and contextual performance contribute independently to overall performance. Experience is more highly correlated with task performance than with contextual performance, and personality variables are more highly correlated with contextual performance than with task performance. These results support the distinction between task performance and contextual performance and confirm that performance, at least as judged by supervisors is multidimensional. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The vocational interests of American Psychological Association presidents.

The Strong Vocational Interest Blank (SVIB) is one of the most widely used psychological instruments. The SVIB was developed by comparing the interests of men in specific occupations with a group of Men-in-General: To accomplish this it was, of course, necessary to collect completed SVIBs from men in a variety of occupations. For this purpose, between about 1925 and 1955, E. K. Strong, Jr., collected about 10,000 SVIBs from men scattered over roughly 50 occupations. Strong's materials constitute an immensely valuable treasure of data, useful for scientific purposes. For example, by using some inventories completed many years ago, it has been possible to study the stability of interests within an occupation over 30 years. As Strong was concerned with men who were successful and satisfied in their occupations, he inevitably collected SVIBs from prominent leaders in many fields. As time moves on, the characteristics of these men assume some historical significance. It is perhaps the first time that systematic psychometric data have been available on the outstanding leaders of earlier eras. This article discusses the representation of the psychology profession in the Strong files, and presents a detailed table reflecting the completed SVIB inventories for 50 of the past 70 APA presidents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analysis of a job evaluation system.

When supervisors or craftsmen attempt to rate specialists, should they combine their judgments? What is the interrelationship between the parts and what is the reliability of the Air Force's job evaluation system? The latter was tried out on a sample of jobs with 50 Air Force Specialists as Ss. Consensus ratings did not seem necessary. Using too few factors seemed undesirable. A descrepancy was found between the results of 2 measures of reliability, although one, at least, provided fairly high values. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)