Development and Field Test of the Trial Battery for Project A

: This research was performed under Project A, the U.S. Army's large- scale manpower effort to improve selection, classification, and utilization of enlisted personnel. This report deals with development and field test of a battery of experimental tests to complement the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery in predicting soldiers' job performance. Findings from a extensive literature review, expert judgments on validity of measures identified in the review, and administration of a preliminary battery of 'off-the-shelf' measures guided the development of new tests. Three major types were prepared: paper-and-pencil tests of cognitive ability; computer-administered tests of perceptual/psychomotor abilities; and paper-and-pencil inventories measuring temperament, biographical data, and vocational interests. After iterative pilot tests and revisions, the measures were field tested. Analysis indicated the new tests had adequate to excellent psychometric qualities, were relatively unique, and were not unduly affected by practice or by faking in an applicant setting. The resulting Trial Battery contains six cognitive paper-and-pencil tests, 10 computer-administered perceptual/psychomotor tests, and two paper-and-pencil inventories measuring temperament, biodata, and interests. It is being used in the next Project A phase, concurrent validation executed with FY83/84 accessions to evaluate the predictor measures against subsequent job performance.