The Right Soldier for the Right Job
Military members serve in a wide variety of specific jobs that mirror civilian organizations, such as transportation, accounting, and law enforcement. They also serve in jobs unique to the military involving combat. A major contribution of military psychology is developing tests to aid the military in both screening out candidates unable to perform in a military setting, and once they are in the military, assigning them to jobs in which they may perform at their best. This chapter reviews how psychologists developed some of the first aptitude tests, used to select and assign personnel during World War I, to emerging developments in the twenty-first century that focus on noncognitive skills, including grit, hardiness, character, and a host of other attributes.