Technical Report - International Military Testing Association

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Two usea are proposed. First, careful study and anAlyses of the
differences in characteristics of “over-achievers” and “under-achievera,”
using what Dr. Helvin R. Marks calls “the off-quadrant upproach,” ahould
help identify variables Chat need to be covered better by the tests.
Second, is an adaptation of the usual procedure that may add significantly
to the multiple Correlations.
In his doctoral dissertation, Reverend Brother James C. Bates, F.S.C.
Consultant to the Provencal, Christian Brothers of Ireland, Canadian
Provence, recently analyzed sole of the concomitants of the “learning
effectiveneso” of 381 male students in a liberal arts college. While
checking out some of my hypotheses, he produced evidence that an
appropriately developed effectiveness index combined with an achievement
test and an aptitude test does yield a significantly greater multiple
correlation with academic marks than using only the two variables from
which it was derived. Naturally, the addition to a multiple regresoion
equation of a variable which ir a linear function of variables already
included cAnnot increase the multiple correlation coefficient. Even
using the ratio of the two should Add little. The correlation between
the two types of indexes USUALLY approaches unity. ,
However, in one part of Brother Bates’s study, the effectiveness
index formula was developed from a total entering Freshman group (381)
and then applied to the 274 students who graduated. When combined with
the other predictor variables, these effectiveness scores increased ..he
multiple correlation with first year college marks .OS points, which was
significant at the .OOl level. Furthermore, the inclusion of this total,freshman-group-bnsed
effectiveness index in the regression equation to
predict average of allcollegeEarks for four years yielded the remarkable
increase of .13 in the R. The canposfte of averc.:e high school marks,
Essential High School Content Battery (the achievement test used in
developing the effectiveness index) and the American Council Psychologic’s
Examination (the aptitude test used),yielded an R of .56, which WAS
raised to .69 by the addition of this type of effectiveness index.
Incidentally, due to the hfgh reliability of the tests used to develop thlcm,
these effectiveness indexes had A .93 reliability coefficient.
This same procedure possibly could be adapted to the military situation.
It should prove useful and relatively easy to develop in connection with
successive levels of training. For the Army, an effectiveness index for
a given F@S based upon the best combination of aptitude measures vereu8 t.hs
Enlisted M0.S Evaluation Test scores and derived from a total Ho.9 skill
level population might increase significal:tly the prediction of the future
proficiency and promotability for soldiers in one pay grade or other
identifiable auhgroup. Other possibilities for meaningful rubgrapa
might be devised and checked out. Verification of the applicability to
OCCupationAl dpecialties of the findings in Brother Bates’s dissertation
offers the possibility of yielding A simple inexpensive way of significantly
increasing validity. A true moderator VAriAble seems to be involved here.
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