Technical b r Report - International Military Testing Association

The Comprchcnsivc Occupational Data Arullysis Programs (CODAP)
system, dcvclopcd by the hir Force, was csxnincd to dctt - Gnc it applicability.4
This system was dcvclopcd to cluster pcoplc rnthcr than tasks, however. The
Army Rcsenrch Institute modified the COIW system to tl:c problem at hand.5
People were not clustered togcthcr on the basis of their similarity in terms
of task performance, instead, tzsks wcrc clustered togcthcr on the basis of
the probability that the tasks would be assiKncd to the sxz pcoplc. On the
left side of Figure 3, clustering is compared with some duty modules that wcrc
analytcd in terms of the “Obvcrst Cluster :\nnlvsis” system designed (see
Tnblc 3 for definitions of uuty modules). The computer run suggcstcd that
there wcrc seven task clusters in this particular group of tasks. The perccntages
shop in the duty module columns on the left side of Figure 3 indicate
the percent of tasks in each of the cmpiric,?lly identified clusters that fall
into duty mcdule cntcgorics A-l through !t-2. The percentages shoxn on the
right-hand side of the figure indicate the pcrccnt of tasks in the empirically
identified clusters that fall into each of the administrstive arcas u .rd to
group tasks in the Military Occupations Data Bank.
It is il,,portant to note that the design of the duty modules is not
complctc, nor is the preparation of the task statcmcnts. These task
Statcmcnts vi11 be revised to reflect additional job data and evidence
concerning the organization and application of command authority in field
units. Task statements will also be revised 3s the duty module system is
further dcvc loped.
It does not necessarily follow that tlrcre will bc complctc agrccncnt
with the computer runs. For cxnnrp lc , it is possible that the first three
cmpiricnl task clusters xould bc considcrcd as really one cluster rather than
three. Before’ that conclusion cnn bc mndc, many other occupationdl spcci altics,
in addition to the one that thcsc data arc ba?scd upon, will have to be reviewed.
Essentially, duty modules arc dcrivcd from many different occupational
spccialtics rather than just one, lzhich is the cast with this particular
ccmputcr run. The decision as to whcthcr these first three clusters arc one
cluster or two or three clusters must be based upon data in other occupational
specialtics as well.
TEST 3
A third test of the utility of duty ~.lulcs is the applicability to the
evaluation of unit pcrforcancc in the field. Task checklist items have been
4 Bottcnbcrg, R. A., and Christnl, R. E., “An iterative technique for clustcring
criteria which rctnins optinnm prcdic:ivc efficiency”, The Journnl of
Expcrinmtal Educcltion, 5 6 , (-I), Sumner, l!WS, 2S-34.
5 Edison, I