Improving the Selection, Classification, and Utilization of Army Enlisted Personnel: Annual Report, 1987 Fiscal Year

Abstract : This report describes research during the fifth year (FY87) of Project A, the Army's long-term program to develop a complete system for selecting and classifying entry-level enlisted personnel. During the fifth year, data obtained from administering experimental predictor and criterion measures to 9,500 soldiers in the project's concurrent validation stage was used to consider alternatives to the current Aptitude Area composites, evaluate methods for weighting criterion components in a composite index, and estimate the utility of various MOS/performance level combinations. Job analysis of second- tour performance was begun in preparation for future second-tour testing. Beginning the longitudinal validation stage, predictor tests were administered to approximately 48,000 1986/87 accessions in 21 MOS; samples from each MOS will subsequently be tested on first-tour and second-tour performance. This report is supplemented by a U.S. Army Research Institute Research Note (in preparation), which contains technical papers prepared during the year on specialized aspects of the project. Keywords: Aptitude areas; Army-wide measures; Criterion measures; First-tour evaluation; Longitudinal validation; MOS utility; Performance utility; Personnel classification; Personnel selection; Predictor measures; Project A; Rating scales; Second-tour evaluation; Soldier effectiveness; Weighting criteria.