Male and Female Performance on Military Related Tasks

Abstract : A few years ago the Human Engineering Laboratory (HEL) began a serious consideration of the implications of greater utilization of female personnel in the Army. One program was initiated to provide answers to more immediate and applied problems such as those relating to anthropometric considerations in equipment and weapons design and to considerations of strength capabilities required in operating and repairing various types of equipment or weapons. Another program, which is the subject of this paper, was initiated to perform more basic investigations of performance variables which might have more subtle implications a little farther down the road. In this regard, we set forth to determine whether or not there exist sex differences in performance abilities in the more traditionally defined areas of behavior. Further, we sought to determine whether or not certain aspects of female soldier performance might be influenced by cyclical factors associated with the menstrual cycle.