Attitude, Aptitude, and Testing in the Efficient Mobilization of Military Manpower

Abstract

Militaries commonly require recruits to pass a test that measures aptitude for military service. In this paper, we show that such tests may also act as a device for screening out low-motivation recruits, even if it is assumed that motivation is not measured by such tests and is not correlated with aptitude.

Keywords:

• Military
• Recruitment
• Testing
• Aptitude
• Motivation
• Attitude

JEL Codes:

• H56
• D82
• J45

Notes

1 There are only fragmentary remains of Heraclitus’ work. This quote can be found at: http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/77989.Heraclitus.

2 See Kavanaugh (1984) for an excellent review of the extensive literature documenting the importance of intelligence and education in the performance of military duties.

3 See Patterson (1978) for an excellent discussion of the influence of motivation of performance in the military.

4 See Monks (2000) for evidence of the AFQT’s value in predicting future income.

5 See Akerlof and Kranton (2005), p. 17.

6 This is consistent with empirical evidence. Asch et al. (2001), for example, find that civilian wages – corrected for experience and education level – vary far more than military pay.

7 See Eitelberg et al. (1984), p. 1.

8 See Fred Kaplan, ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ Slate, 24 January 2008.

9 Eitelberg et al. (1984), p. 26.

10 See Asch et al. (2010), p. 256.

11 See Tim Kane, ‘Who Are the Recruits? The Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Military Enlistment, 2003–2005,’ Heritage Foundation Report, 27 October 2006.