military psychology: research

Military Psychology:Research

Dr. Steven J. Kass

Military Psychology Research in History

Military Psychology Research Includes:– Recruitment, selection, placement, training, retention– Prediction/enhancement of combat performance– Human factors in design of complex weapon systems– Specialized skills training– Coping skills in foreign lands, adverse conditions– Adjustment/stress– Data analysis for decision/policy making– Diversity

World War I:– Intelligence testing, selection, & classification

World War II:– Human factors studies

RADAR, electronic communications, complex weapon systems– Mackworth’s vigilance research on radar operators in RAF.

Navy Combat Information Centers (CIC) – man-machine interface issues (e.g., sonar, radar)

APA Division 21 – Applied Experimental & Engineering Psychologists (HF)

– Problems of human capabilities and limitations in use of complex systems (e.g., high performance aircraft, submarines, C&C centers)

– Research on protecting soldiers from environmental elements.


Post WWII– RADAR-aided ATC (Ohio State Univ)– Land-based air defense/interception (Columbia Univ/MIT)– Shipboard Combat Info Center air defense (NRL-

Chesapeake Bay)– Battlefield Surveillance (Univ of Michigan)– Field operations, tactics, equipment (Ft. Ord, Cal)– Hypothetical command center for nuclear war (System

Development Corporation)


Human Resources Research Office (HumRRO)– Est 1951 to study US Army training methods– Still conducts I/O related work for Army and other

agencies– Located in Alexandria, VA


Military Research Centers & LabsArmy

US Army Human Research Engineering Directorate (HRED)

– Est 1951, Aberdeen Proving Ground (MD)– HF research on interface design (e.g., field phone interface,

display symbology for weapon systems, pilot controls)– Basic psychological research on human sensory

input/handling of information– Field experiments measuring performance of soldiers

operating developmental hardware systems– Application of human engineering design guidance for

development and testing of materiel systemsFor more info see: http://www.peostri.army.mil/ARL_HRED/

Division of Neuropsychiatry at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Washington DC, 1951

– Stress Studies Neuroscience animal/human experiments on stress reactions Sleep deprivation studies

– Stimulants/sleep aids Stress associated with military lifestyle

For more info see: http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/research/Pages/default.aspx


US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA– Studies on soldier performance as impacted by

harsh environmental stressor, such as heat, cold, altitude.

Physical fitness Biomechanics Biophysics of protective clothing

For more info see: http://www.usariem.army.mil/


US Army Aeromedical Research Lab (USAARL), Ft Rucker, AL

– In-flight & simulator assessment of helo pilots under stressful flight conditions

– Pilot fatigue– Performance with night vision goggles– Effects/benefits of pharmaceuticals (e.g., stimulants)– Effects of extreme conditions on pilot performance– E.g., shock, g-forces, vibration, noise, visual enhancement

systems.

For more info see: http://www.usaarl.army.mil/


US Army Research Institute (ARI) for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (many offices around US)– Personnel selection, classification, placement,

and retention

For more info see: http://www.hqda.army.mil/ari/


US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD), Aberdeen, MD– Medical defense against chemical battlefield

threats Treatment Prophylaxis Antidotes

For more info see: http://chemdef.apgea.army.mil/


Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC)– Aircraft Division (Lakehurst, Patuxent River)– Training Systems Division (Orlando)– Weapons Division (China Lake, Point Mugu)

Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR)– Formerly Navy Command, Control, & Ocean Surveillance Cetner (NOSC)

& Navy Research, Development, Test, & Evaluation Center (NRaD)– (Charleston, San Diego)

Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC)– ( Carderock, W. Bethesda, Crane, Dahlgren, Panama City, Indian

Head, Port Hueneme)Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC)

– (Keyport, Newport)

See Links for more info: http://www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/3t/transition/orta/ntislabs.asp http://enterprise.spawar.navy.mil/

Military Research Centers & LabsNavy

Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), San Diego– Fleet operational readiness thru RDT&E– Evaluation of biomedical & psychological aspects of Navy/Marine

personnel health & performance

Naval Aerospace Medical Research Lab (NAMRL), Pensacola– Aviation performance and medicine

Spatial disorientation, motion sickness, effects of meds– BRAC’d for 2011, moving to WPAFB

Naval Submarine Medical Research Lab (NSMRL), Groton

See links for more info: http://www.med.navy.mil/ http://navymedicine.med.navy.mil/


Research is fun


Naval Operational Medicine Institute (NOMI)– Naval Aerospace Medicine Institute (NAMI)– Naval Expeditionary Medicine Institute (NEMTI)– Naval Special Operations Medicine Institute (NSOMI)– Naval Survival Training Institute (NSTI)– Naval Undersea Medicine Institute (NUMI)– Surface Warfare Medicine Institute (SWMI)

For more info: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/

US Air Force Research Laboratory (realigned) “Super Lab” to conduct research on all

aspects of aviation– Wright Lab (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH)– Armstrong Lab (Brooks AFB, TX)– Phillips Lab (Kirtland AFB, NM)– Rome Lab (Griffiss AFB, NY)

For more info see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Research_Laboratory

Military Research Centers & LabsAir Force

Military Research Funding

Program 6 – Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation (RDT&E)

– 6.1 Basic Research – basic mechanisms to explain psychological/physiological systems

Application of research not important at this level– 6.2 Applied Research – meeting a problem that has been

identified mostly in-house research

– 6.3 Advanced Material Development – feasibility preliminary development of new technologies

– 6.4 Engineering Development – procurement final development/procurement of technology to solve new

problem or fix old problem

6.1 Funding

Navy: Office of Naval Research (ONR)Air Force: US Air Force Office of Scientific Research

(AFOSR)Army:

– Army Research Institute (ARI) for Social & Behavioral Research (I/O, Personnel)

– Army Materiel Command’s Human Research & Engineering Directorate (human engineering)

– US Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (medical research)

– Army Research Office (behavioral research)

Military Psychology Training

Advanced degrees in Psych (MA, Ph.D.) Experimental design & statistics Practical experience Generalist, team player Ability to study multiple variables

Military PsychologyResearch Opportunities

Basic mechanisms research on animal models– Historical labs: primate lab, pigeon missile

Laboratory experiments w/state of the art equipment– Technology: Virtual reality, simulators, centrifuges– Innovations: tactile feedback, microdisplays, augmented cognition– Motivated participants

Field research– Solving real problems

Social psychology– Group dynamics, team training/cohesion, leadership, persuasion,

etc. Collaborative work w/world renown researchers

Military PsychologyPublishing

Military Psychology research is published in: Technical Reports

– DTIC repository for gov’t reports

Conference Proceedings– E.g., I/ITSEC, HFES, AsMA

Journals– E.g.,Military Psychology; Human Factors; Aviation, Space,

& Environmental Medicine; J. of Aviation; J. of Applied Psychology; Work & Stress; Ergonomics

Military PsychologyResearch The Future

Cuts in research funding due to war efforts in Afghanistan & Iraq

Base Re-alignment And Closures – Joint Service labs to increase efficiency

International research programs Clinical research for increased number of war

vets (PTSD, Stress, Neuropsych) Hi tech advances

Other Military Experiments

Link to Dr. Steve’s Research Page: http://www.uwf.edu/psychology/hf-lab/

YouTube Videos: Mind control experiment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUW-frxo2X4 LSD experiments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbvVLGskCQo Dolphin soldier pt1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3PKNgEznQw

pt2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osts5XrpHM8&feature=related

pt3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7qhAUwmHVw&feature=related

pt4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InEPixEv9mY&feature=related

military psychology: research

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