Aptitude Level and the Acquisition of Skills and Knowledges in a Variety of Military Training Tasks.

Abstract : To assess the effects of wide differences in aptitude on the acquisition of military knowledges and skills, a sample of 183 Army recruits was divided into three maximally distant aptitude groups on the basis of their AFQT scores: High aptitude, AFQT 90-99; Middle aptitude, AFQT 45-55; Low aptitude, AFQT 10-21. Each recruit was individually trained to a performance criterion in differing combinations of a battery of eight tasks representative of Army training. A variety of supplementary psychometric, scholastic achievement, and BCT attainment data were analyzed. The results were consistent in demonstrating large differences related to aptitude.