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Military Psychology
Gerhard Ohrband – ULIM University, Moldova
1st lecture
Introduction: Historical overview, main applications
Course structure
1. Introduction: Historical Overview, main applications2. Environmental Stressors3. Leadership4. Team Effectiveness5. Individual and Group Behaviour6. Clinical Psychology7. Selection and Classification8. Training 9. Human Factor Engineering10. Psychotherapy and Counseling11. Terrorism12. Trauma Therapy13. Psychological Warfare14. Ethical Issues for a Psychologist in the Armed Forces15. Review: Preparation for the Exams
Literature
Gal, R., Mangelsdorff, A.D., and Dolgin, D.L. (1992). Handbook of Military Psychology. Wiley.
Historical overview
Before World War I: psychology emerges as a field of scientific
study and application Alfred Binet (France): mental measurement Scientific management movement to
enhance worker productivity
Historical overview
During World War I: Problem: assimilating millions of civilians into the
armed services brought the tools of psychologists to the military environment and created the discipline of military psychology in the U.S.
Application: mental testing of recruits with the Army Alpha and Beta examinations → appropriate placement of new soldiers into military jobs and officer training
Historical overview
Other issues: measurement of troop morale measurement of assimilation into the military development of special trade tests to assess
skills, such as combat leadership and flying aptitude
assessment of emotional instability measurement of human performance
Historical overview
during the 1920s and 1930s:
hiatus in the study and practice of military psychology
start of World War II:
more than 2.000 military psychologists in the U.S.
Newer issues
military leadership effects of environmental factors on human
performance military intelligence psychological operations and warfare selection for special duties influences of personal background, attitude,
and the work group on soldier motivation and morale
Major areas of work and studyAccording to the Handbook of Military Psychology (Gal &
Mangelsdorff, 1991) selection and classification training human factors engineering environmental stressors leadership and team effectiveness individual and group behaviour clinical psychology survey research special subjects and situations
Selection and classification
screening and selection of entry-level enlisted and officer personnel
appropriate classification and career placement of personnel
selection for special-skilled jobs such as pilots, air traffic controllers, Marine embassy guards, and special operations personnel
current research emphasis on expanding the measurement domain to include
1. more comprehensive assessment of ability and skills using microcomputers and simulators
2. evaluating the potential of new noncognitive contructs such as social intelligence and the contribution of motivation and values
Selection and classification
Related areas of research: development and application of occupational
analysis techniques to create military job structures
creation of procedures for conducting evaluations of enlisted and officer performance
Training
development of the most effective and efficient means to train military enlisted and officer personnel and to increase operational readiness
Major application for research: basic skills (e.g., reading, mathematics) military skills (e.g., infantry, seamanship) technical skills (e.g., electronics, foreign languages) special areas (e.g., flight training, underwater
demolition)
Training as military systems become more technologically
complex → increasing focus on techniques for team training and training special skills
research emphasis:1. developing models of cognitive and information
processing2. understanding the nature of training task requirements
and the design of instructional systems3. measurement of training performance through criterion-
referenced procedures4. wide-scale use of training devices, simulators, and
computer-based training to enhance skill acquisition (emerging area: computer-simulated operational scenarios, including technologies such as virtual reality)
Human Factors Engineering
design the human-machine interface → improve functioning of military systems and equipment
early research: taxonomies of human performance and changing equipments design to enhance human performance
Human Factors Engineering
Now: systems have become more complex →improving human performance by
1. reducing operator workload2. reducing the impact of acute stress (as in
battlefield conditions)3. greater use of job aids: focus on enhancing
human decision making through the use of artificial intelligence and expert systems
Environmental stressors
military personnel often have to work under adverse operational conditions such as
1. sustained operations without sleep2. environmental extremes (noise, heat, cold or high
altitude)3. vehicles that include high acceleration, vibration,
stress, or motion sickness4. hazardous atmospheric conditions (toxic fumes,
radiological, biological, or chemical warfare) Goals: 1. maintenance of health and2. enhancement of performance during stressful military
missions
Environmental stressors
Research: conducted on the interface of equipment, environments, and personnel through a combination of laboratory studies and field experiments in extreme environments
Leadership and team effectiveness Goals: efficient operation of military leadership
and units in wartime and the requirements for maintaining the capability in
peacetime Research on effective leaders
1. selection, training and evaluation
2. performance at face-to-face troop levels
3. executive-level policy making
→ study of the behaviour of world leaders
Leadership and team effectiveness Research on team processes1. team structure2. communication3. subordinate-supervisor relations4. team cohesion5. functioning of small groups6. tactical decision making Actual topic: assessment and improvement of
communication among multinational forces
Individual and group behaviour study of the relationship of people to the variety of
settings within this unique military environment from acculturation to military life and spanning an individual’s life course decisions
special research topics: 1. organizational commitment2. development of careers3. quality of life and satisfaction4. military families5. morale and cohesion6. epidemiology
Individual and group behaviour7. maladjustive behaviours including
substance abuse
8. attritions from military service because of unsuitability
9. willingness to remain in military service
10. stress of military life, including the serious psychological reactions in the aftermath of combat
Clinical Psychology
providing mental health services and counseling to active duty personnel and their families within the unique military environment
Tasks:1. conduct psychological testing and applicant
assessment for general fitness-for-duty and for highly sensitive job requiring security clearance
2. manage programs addressing specific issues such as substance abuse, family-related problems – including child abuse, stress reduction, promotion of health and wellness
Survey research
collect data through applied research and studies analyze existing databases→ support decision makers within the individual
military services or within DoD (Department of Defense)
Examples: evaluation of health problems of returning veterans
of the 1991 Gulf War provide assistance to military manpower planners
dealing with force reductions
Special subjects and situations returning prisoners-of-war hostage situations specialized military forces reserve readiness military intelligence personnel security psychological operations conduct of humanitarian missions
Work settings and employers
educational facilities medical centers, hospitals, and clinics military schools and bases overseas deployments operational and policy offices
Synthesis
Special subjects
Survey Research
Clinical Psychology
Individual and Group Behaviour
Leadership andTeam effectiveness
Human Factors
Engineering
Training
EnvironmentalStressors
Selection andClassification
Military Psychology
Internet resources
History of Military Psychology http://www.historyofmilitarypsychology.com/index.html
Institute for Defense & Government Advancement (IDGA) http://www.idga.org/cgi-bin/templates/single.html?topic=329
The Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society http://www.luc.edu/orgs/ius/
US Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences http://www.hqda.army.mil/ari/
US Military Academy Behavioral Sciences and Leadership http://www.dean.usma.edu/bsl/default.htm
US Army Medical Research & Materiel Command https://mrmc-www.army.mil/
