As high-stakes use of tests increases, it becomes vital that test developers and test users communicate clearly about the accuracy and limitations of the scores generated by a test after it is assembled and used. A procedure is described for portraying the accuracy of test scores. It can be used in setting accuracy targets during form construction…

The relationship between servicemembers' participation in the U.S. Armed Forces' off-duty voluntary higher education programs and retention of enlisted personnel in military service was examined through a review of existing and new data. The primary data source was a 1992 Department of Defense-sponsored survey of a stratified sample of…

A previous review of the effects of stressors on military performance shows that different stressors have different effects, the effects of stress vary with the type of skill being measured, the presence of certain stressors leads to decrements in performance, and incident-related stress accompanying these stressors can further impair performance.…

On December 12, 1985, a charter airline carrying 248 United States soldiers crashed and burned after a refueling stop in Gander, Newfoundland, killing all on board. After the crash, family assistance workers were appointed to help the surviving family members of each dead soldier. This study attempted to: (1) identify the major areas of stress for…

The effects of item position on item statistics were studied in a large set of data from tests of word knowledge (WK) and arithmetic reasoning (AR). Position effects on item response theory (IRT) parameter estimates and classical item statistics were also investigated. Data were collected as part of a project to refine the Army's Computerized…

Soldiers who exit the Army before the end of their first term of service represent lost investments in terms of both direct costs (e.g., training costs) and indirect costs (e.g., force instability). The Army would benefit from pre-enlistment information that could identify those individuals most likely to complete their first term. This paper…

This paper describes the development, implementation, and effects of new approaches to cognitive assessment within an undergraduate engineering course at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The course, ENGR 110, "Introduction to Engineering," was designed to be a problem-based learning environment in which cadets worked in teams to solve…

A study focused on answering questions about fidelity levels of maintenance training simulators in a relatively simple electromechanical troubleshooting task. Two aspects of simulator fidelity were manipulated: physical fidelity and functional fidelity. The paid participants in the study were 100 male and female college undergraduates at George…

U.S. military service academies hope to develop high standards of moral value among cadets. Tests of "values" are difficult to construct and utilize properly. This paper discusses the strengths and limitations of the Rokeach Value Scales, which have been widely used to measure civilian adult and student values in the U.S., Australia, and…

This paper examines the use of the peer review system in evaluating out-patient clinical services for a third-party payer seeking justification for payment of services. Peer review is defined as a process by which one professional, in an official capacity, makes a judgment about a co-professional in a matter involving professional functioning. The…

Having implemented a testing procedure using the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests to identify recruits with reading deficiencies, the United States Navy conducted a study comparing the performance of recruits on three different reading tests. A total of 716 recruits completed the comprehension portion of the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, the Tests…

Basic skills training in the United States Navy has become increasingly important as the quality of the recruit population has declined and the job demands faced by enlisted personnel have expanded. A study investigated reading comprehension and related variables pertaining to the Navy's recruits during a 12-month period. The primary focus of the…

Attitudes toward the role of women in the army do not introduce a consistent and strong bias into the way male and female leaders are judged by their subordinates. Male and female cadets at the U.S. Military Academy completed questionnaires describing their unit leaders at two training activities. Results showed that egalitarian followers and…

A well-designed curriculum depends on clearly specified objectives. An abuse-avoidance technique can be used to write these objectives. The Air University, charged with building professional competence of officers and airmen, has to determine educational requirements. The curriculum, based on these requirements, usually consists of broadly worded…

The purpose of this paper is to lay a basis for and discuss the components of a system, called COMET, designed to objectively measure and evaluate the competency of trainees in military training enterprises. COMET is an acronym for "Computerized Objective Measurement and Evaluation of Trainees." These goals will be accomplished by: (a)…