2003 IMTA Proceedings - International Military Testing Association

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contract by succeeding in selection procedures later on in their careers. There were data
available on applicants (n = 2044) and pilot trainees (n = 129). Applicants were administered
the MPSB, some of them passed the test, others did not. Pilot trainees were selected by means
of scores on the MPSB and they all passed the test battery.
Measures
Independent variables or predictors
The MPSB was composed of a Psychomotor Battery (PM), a Pilot Skills Battery (PS),
Academic tests, Physical tests, a psychological and a professional interview.
The PM consisted of three tests. First, there was a co-ordination test with two parts:
C_COORD and T_COORD. In the C_COORD, part 1 and part 2, the candidates must keep a
moving ball within the limits of a square. In the T_COORD, part 1 and part 2, a candidate
must either react or not when a triangle appears. Second, there was a discrimination test
producing three scores: G_DISCR (number of good responses, part 1 and part 2), TR_DISCR
(reaction time) and RI_DISCR (number of errors). During this test a candidate must
discriminate between coloured squares and react in an appropriate way. Third, there was the
number of good responses on the RS_506, a test measuring reasoning, spatial orientation and
visual representation.
Test name Kind of test Description
Reaction time test Reaction Number of good responses as an answer
to different stimuli
Reaction time Time needed to respond as an answer to
ABL 304 Visual memory, spatial
orientation, organisation of
the learning process
45 th Annual Conference of the International Military Testing Association
Pensacola, Florida, 3-6 November 2003
different stimuli
Number of good responses in
memorising a geographic map
ABL 17 Reasoning Number of good responses in
completing series of stimuli
ABL 152 Visual memory,
Number of good responses in making
concentration, learning
method
associations between stimuli
Cubes test Three dimensional
Number of good responses in
visualisation and reasoning representing three dimensional figures
Digit recall Short Term Memory Number of good responses in
reproducing series of digits
Arithmetic Numerical reasoning Number of good responses in detecting
principles in series of numbers
Manikin Lateral orientation Number of good responses in localising
positions
Spiral Motor co-ordination Time needed to track a wire without
touching the wire
Figure 1. Composition of the Pilot Skills Test Battery
The PS Battery contained nine subtests, described in Figure 1. It should be made clear
that the ABL 152 was composed of four distinct time periods, with each time the same