The Army needs the best personnel available to meet the emerging demands of the 21st century. Accordingly, the Army is seeking recommendations on experimental non-cognitive predictor measures (e.g., interests, values, temperament) that could enhance entry-level Soldier selection and classification decisions. The U. S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) is conducting a longitudinal criterion-related validation research effort to collect data to inform these recommendations. Experimental predictor measures of individual differences in temperament and job interests were administered at Army Reception Battalions to 8,103 new Soldiers. At the end of training, archival criterion data were collected for 7,599 Soldiers and supplemented with for-research-only criteria for 1,194 Soldiers. The results support the Tailored Adaptive Personality Assessment (TAPAS) and Work Preferences Assessment (WPA) as candidates for a new Soldier screen. Based on these results, the Army has implemented the TAPAS as an operational test for applicants and is pursuing further research on the WPA. An operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) has been initiated to evaluate the new screen.

"July 2010"--T.p. "Army project number 622785A790"--T.p.

Introduction. Background -- Current research questions -- Overview of report / Longitudinal research design. Data collection points and sample -- Criterion measures -- Predictor measures -- Predictor and criterion data collections -- Sample descriptions / Tailored Adaptive Personality Assessment System (TAPAS-95S). Description of measure -- Development of measure -- Scoring the measure -- Basic descriptive statistics and psychometric properties of measure / Scoring and psychometric properties of measures. Criterion measure scores and associated psychometric properties -- Predictor measure scores and associated psychometric properties / Analysis and findings. Introduction -- Selection of "best bet" experimental predictor measures -- Initial development and evaluation of candidate performance screens -- Development and evaluation of a performance screen for IOT&E / Conclusions and next steps. U.S. Army implementation -- High stakes assessment of the Work Preferences Assessment (WPA) -- Tier One performance screen validation -- Potential uses for non-cognitive assessment / Appendix A: descriptive statistics and score intercorrelations for selected criterion measures -- Appendix B: descriptive statistics and score intercorrelations for selected predictor measures -- Appendix C: scale-level correlations between selected predictor and criterion measures -- Appendix D: predictor score subgroup differences -- Appendix E: Work Preferences Assessment (WPA) item reduction.