I__. - International Military Testing Association

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Development of an Experimental Biodataemperament Inventory for NROTC Selection1
Mary Ann Hanson and Cheryl Paullin
Personnel Decisions Research Institutes, Inc.
Walter C. Barman
University of South Florida and Personnel Decisions Research Institutes, Inc.
One component of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Scholarship program selection
process in need of revision or replacement is the Biographical Questionnaire (BQ). The BQ key
(Neumann, Githens, & Abrahams, 1967), which was developed to predict officer retention beyond initial
obligated service, is somewhat dated and does not correlate well with NROTC performance criteria,. In
addition, the BQ itself was developed over forty years ago (Rimland, 1957). Much has been learned in
the meantime about the development of biodata items, and many of the BQ items appear dated. Thus, the
development of a new biodata instrument seemed in order. This paper will describe the development,
preliminary evaluation, and refinement of an experimental biographical data and temperament inventory
designed to predict NROTC performance and attrition.
Method
Developing the pilot Profile of Exoeriences and Characteristics (PEC)
A rational, construct-based approach was taken, both to develop and to refine this new experimental
inventory, The first step in developing the inventory was to more clearly specify the criterion constructs
it is designed to predict. Performance measures currently used by the NROTC were identified (e.g.,
Naval Science Grades), and the constructs that underlie these performance measures were specified. The
underlying performance constructs identified were academic achievement, leadership, military bearing,
and goal setting. Attrition from the NROTC program occurs for a variety of reasons, and the underlying
causes of attrition include academic failure, inaptitude, and dislike for the military (see Owens-Km%
Gialluca, & Bonnan, 1989). The present research focused on identifying predictors of the performance
and attrition constructs for which prediction is presently poor. Because academic achievement and academic
failure are predicted at least moderately well by existing predictors, less emphasis was placed on
identifying predictors of these criteria.
A literature review was conducted to identify individual differences constructs, especially biographical
and temperament constructs. that have shown empirical links with criteria similar to the NROTC performance
and attrition constructs in past research. Item-level validities for several other inventories were
also reviewed. Eight individual differences constructs wete identified that have been found, in past research,
to be valid predictors of criteria similar to the NROTC performance/attrition constructs. These
eight constructs were labeled: (1) Achievement Motivation; (2) Team Orientation; (3) Dominance; (4)
Sociability; (5) Leadership Orientation; (6) NROTC/Military Interest and Motivation; (7) Organization
and Planning; and (8) Responsibility.
Items were written to tap each of these eight constructs. Past research (e.g., Doll, 1971) has shown
that responses to verifiable items (i.e., items for which the truthfulness of responses can be checked using
an external source) are less often distorted, Because biodata items typically deal with observable behav-
1 This research was supported by funds from the Office of Naval Technology, Program Element 062233N.
The opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Navy.
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