MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY
Introduction to Military Psychology
Military Psychology
The science and application of human behavior as it relates to the military. Composed of 2 major
areas: Clinical and Operational. Field developing from demand of an increasingly mobile and modern
military.
Military psychologists
Military psychologists provide support to the military in many ways, including through direct
clinical care, consultation to military commanders, teaching others, supporting military training, and
through research relevant to military operations and personnel. Military psychologists are comprised of
military personnel (active duty, reservists, and retirees) as well as Department of Defense (DoD)
personnel and contracted civilians. The application of psychology to military domains requires military
psychologists to fully grasp military policies, procedures, and operations (Melton, 1957).
Stressors associated with military: The stressors associated with military service are many to include
exposure to high-risk training and combat.
Issues faced by military members: Most issues facing military members are not that dissimilar from
those faced by their civilian counterparts (e.g., relationship issues, financial stressors, occupational
strain). Specific examples of the issues faced by military personnel that may be somewhat Distinct
include:
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with combat,
or guilt and family/partner difficulties accompanying extended
or frequent deployments due to separation.
Clinical providers: Clinical providers in military psychology are often focused on the treatment of
stress, fatigue and other personal readiness issues. Psychologists are critical support components that
assist military leaders in designing appropriate training programs, providing oversight to those
programs, and assisting military members as they navigate the challenges of military training and
military life in general.
Role of psychologist: Though many psychologists may have a general understanding with regards to a
humans response to traumatic situations, military psychologists are uniquely trained and experienced
specialists in applied science and practice among this special population. While the service members
may be providing direct aid to the victims of events. Military psychologists are providing specialized aid
1
, MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY
to both members, their families, and the victims of military operations as they cope with the often
"normal" response or reaction to uncommon and abnormal circumstances.
History
Psychological stress and disorders have always been a part of military life, especially during and
after wartime, but the mental health section of military psychology has not always experienced the
awareness it does now. One of the first institutions created to care for military psychiatric patients
was St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. Formerly known as the United States Government
Hospital for the Insane, the hospital was founded by the United States Congress. One of the first applied
psychological projects, initiated by The Committee on Methods for the Psychological Examination of
Recruits and headed by Robert Yerkes, conducted over 4000 psychological screenings with Army and
Navy recruits (Driskell & Olmstead, 1989). Two years into the war effort, approximately 1,726,966
recruits had been administered intelligence tests
Intelligence testing in the U.S. military: Lewis M. Terman, a professor at Stanford University, revised
the Binet-Simon Scale in 1916, renaming it the Stanford-Binet Revision. This test was the beginning of
the “Intelligence Testing Movement” and was administered to over 170,000 soldiers in the United States
Army during World War I.
Military test: There were two tests that initially made up the intelligence tests for the military: Army
Alpha and Army Beta tests. They were developed to evaluate vast numbers of military recruits that were
both literate (Army Alpha tests) and illiterate (Army Beta tests). The Army Beta test were designed to
“measure native intellectual capacity”. The Army Beta test also helped to test non-English speaking
service members.
Intelligence and entrance tests: The standardized intelligence and entrance tests that have been used
for each military branch in the United States has transformed over the years. Finally, in 1974, “the
Department of Defense decided that all Services should use Armed Services Vocational Aptitude
Battery (ASVAB) for both screening enlistees and assigning them to military occupations.
Robert M. Yerkes: His work resulted in formulating a plan for APA members to offer their
professional services to the World War I effort. Yerkes was known for being opposed to America being
involved in the war at all. It was decided that psychologists could provide support in developing
methods for selection of recruits and treatment of war victims.
World War II
2
, MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY
During World War II, the Army General Classification Test (AGCT) and the Navy General
Classification Test (NGCT) were used in place of the Army Alpha and Army Beta tests for similar
purposes. The United States Army had no unified program for the use of clinical psychologists until
1944, towards the end of World War II. Before this time, no clinical psychologists were serving in Army
hospitals under the supervision of psychiatrists. By 1945 there were over 450 clinical psychologists
serving in the U.S. Army. As WWII came to an end, psychology kept its footing within the clinical,
applied, and research arenas to serve the military’s ever-growing needs. By the end of the war, the
number of psychologists in therapeutic roles propelled the establishment of one of the first clinical
psychology training programs for advanced specialty mental health care at Brooke General Hospital at
Fort Sam Houston (Summers, 2008).
Korean War: The Korean War was the first war in which clinical psychologists served overseas,
positioned in hospitals as well as combat zones.
Vietnam War: In the Vietnam War, there were significant challenges that obstructed the regular use of
psychologists to support combat troops. The mental health teams were very small, usually only
consisting of one psychiatrist, one psychologist, and three or four enlisted corpsmen.
Society for Military Psychology
In 1946, the Society for Military Psychology (Division 19) was established within the APA to
provide a forum for those interested in promoting the application of psychology within the military
(Driskell & Olmstead, 1989). Also, from the success of utilizing psychological principles during the
First and Second World Wars, the Secretary of the Navy announced the need for continued
psychological research. In the 1950s, the Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social
Sciences (ARI) expanded its capacities and created laboratories that employed psychologists to study
human factors both within and outside the military context.
1940s and early 1950s: The utilization of psychology continued. During the late 1940s and early 1950s,
human engineering was the most studied area within the military and engineering psychology soon
became a separate line of study. Advancing its efforts within selection and assessment, the Armed
Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) was introduced in 1950 for screening and supplemental evaluation of
military personnel. In 1974, the single test battery, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
(ASVAB), which is still used today, was established to screen and assign individuals to specific jobs
within the services.
3
, MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY
Primary role: Today, a primary role of military psychologists is providing clinical treatment to military
personnel and their families. Wars spanning from WWII to the Korean and Vietnam Wars to the recent
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in progressive conceptualizations and treatments for
deployment- and trauma-related problems. The psychological needs of military families, who are also
impacted by stressors of military life, have been acknowledged and have become an important area in
military psychology.
Positive tools: After the emergence of positive psychology new tools included in the military
psychology such as study of positive emotion, positive traits and positive institution. Providing a
framework of principles and techniques that can be used by the healthy majority. Positive psychology
can be used to enhance resilience and teach individuals to adjust more effectively to new circumstance
and stressors.
Areas of study
The goals and missions of current military psychologists have been retained over the years
Terrorism
Operational psychology
Tactical psychology
Health, organizational, and occupational psychology
Feminism
i. Terrorism: The applied aspects of military psychology includes terrorism,
counterterrorism, information management and psychological warfare. It is important to understand
when and how the label of terrorism is applied because of its psychological impact. The
causes, goals, methodology, and strategy of the terrorist mindset is well suited for psychological inquiry
and the development of the strategy and tactics used to confront it. Terrorists have tended to be from
among the more well educated in their host countries. They often have developed a well thought out, but
not very often publicized or well articulated, rigid ideology that provides the foundation for their
strategy and tactics. Psychologically disturbed terrorists increase the risk of damage to the terror
organization's strategic outcomes.
As in any organization, mentally disturbed terrorists are a liability and the leaders of terrorist
groups are well aware of the risks that these types of persons present. As any good organizational leader,
the effective terrorist will try to recruit the best person for the job. It is doubtful that modern terrorist
groups would adopt the affirmative action and other hiring practices dictated under employment laws in
4
Introduction to Military Psychology
Military Psychology
The science and application of human behavior as it relates to the military. Composed of 2 major
areas: Clinical and Operational. Field developing from demand of an increasingly mobile and modern
military.
Military psychologists
Military psychologists provide support to the military in many ways, including through direct
clinical care, consultation to military commanders, teaching others, supporting military training, and
through research relevant to military operations and personnel. Military psychologists are comprised of
military personnel (active duty, reservists, and retirees) as well as Department of Defense (DoD)
personnel and contracted civilians. The application of psychology to military domains requires military
psychologists to fully grasp military policies, procedures, and operations (Melton, 1957).
Stressors associated with military: The stressors associated with military service are many to include
exposure to high-risk training and combat.
Issues faced by military members: Most issues facing military members are not that dissimilar from
those faced by their civilian counterparts (e.g., relationship issues, financial stressors, occupational
strain). Specific examples of the issues faced by military personnel that may be somewhat Distinct
include:
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with combat,
or guilt and family/partner difficulties accompanying extended
or frequent deployments due to separation.
Clinical providers: Clinical providers in military psychology are often focused on the treatment of
stress, fatigue and other personal readiness issues. Psychologists are critical support components that
assist military leaders in designing appropriate training programs, providing oversight to those
programs, and assisting military members as they navigate the challenges of military training and
military life in general.
Role of psychologist: Though many psychologists may have a general understanding with regards to a
humans response to traumatic situations, military psychologists are uniquely trained and experienced
specialists in applied science and practice among this special population. While the service members
may be providing direct aid to the victims of events. Military psychologists are providing specialized aid
1
, MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY
to both members, their families, and the victims of military operations as they cope with the often
"normal" response or reaction to uncommon and abnormal circumstances.
History
Psychological stress and disorders have always been a part of military life, especially during and
after wartime, but the mental health section of military psychology has not always experienced the
awareness it does now. One of the first institutions created to care for military psychiatric patients
was St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. Formerly known as the United States Government
Hospital for the Insane, the hospital was founded by the United States Congress. One of the first applied
psychological projects, initiated by The Committee on Methods for the Psychological Examination of
Recruits and headed by Robert Yerkes, conducted over 4000 psychological screenings with Army and
Navy recruits (Driskell & Olmstead, 1989). Two years into the war effort, approximately 1,726,966
recruits had been administered intelligence tests
Intelligence testing in the U.S. military: Lewis M. Terman, a professor at Stanford University, revised
the Binet-Simon Scale in 1916, renaming it the Stanford-Binet Revision. This test was the beginning of
the “Intelligence Testing Movement” and was administered to over 170,000 soldiers in the United States
Army during World War I.
Military test: There were two tests that initially made up the intelligence tests for the military: Army
Alpha and Army Beta tests. They were developed to evaluate vast numbers of military recruits that were
both literate (Army Alpha tests) and illiterate (Army Beta tests). The Army Beta test were designed to
“measure native intellectual capacity”. The Army Beta test also helped to test non-English speaking
service members.
Intelligence and entrance tests: The standardized intelligence and entrance tests that have been used
for each military branch in the United States has transformed over the years. Finally, in 1974, “the
Department of Defense decided that all Services should use Armed Services Vocational Aptitude
Battery (ASVAB) for both screening enlistees and assigning them to military occupations.
Robert M. Yerkes: His work resulted in formulating a plan for APA members to offer their
professional services to the World War I effort. Yerkes was known for being opposed to America being
involved in the war at all. It was decided that psychologists could provide support in developing
methods for selection of recruits and treatment of war victims.
World War II
2
, MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY
During World War II, the Army General Classification Test (AGCT) and the Navy General
Classification Test (NGCT) were used in place of the Army Alpha and Army Beta tests for similar
purposes. The United States Army had no unified program for the use of clinical psychologists until
1944, towards the end of World War II. Before this time, no clinical psychologists were serving in Army
hospitals under the supervision of psychiatrists. By 1945 there were over 450 clinical psychologists
serving in the U.S. Army. As WWII came to an end, psychology kept its footing within the clinical,
applied, and research arenas to serve the military’s ever-growing needs. By the end of the war, the
number of psychologists in therapeutic roles propelled the establishment of one of the first clinical
psychology training programs for advanced specialty mental health care at Brooke General Hospital at
Fort Sam Houston (Summers, 2008).
Korean War: The Korean War was the first war in which clinical psychologists served overseas,
positioned in hospitals as well as combat zones.
Vietnam War: In the Vietnam War, there were significant challenges that obstructed the regular use of
psychologists to support combat troops. The mental health teams were very small, usually only
consisting of one psychiatrist, one psychologist, and three or four enlisted corpsmen.
Society for Military Psychology
In 1946, the Society for Military Psychology (Division 19) was established within the APA to
provide a forum for those interested in promoting the application of psychology within the military
(Driskell & Olmstead, 1989). Also, from the success of utilizing psychological principles during the
First and Second World Wars, the Secretary of the Navy announced the need for continued
psychological research. In the 1950s, the Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social
Sciences (ARI) expanded its capacities and created laboratories that employed psychologists to study
human factors both within and outside the military context.
1940s and early 1950s: The utilization of psychology continued. During the late 1940s and early 1950s,
human engineering was the most studied area within the military and engineering psychology soon
became a separate line of study. Advancing its efforts within selection and assessment, the Armed
Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) was introduced in 1950 for screening and supplemental evaluation of
military personnel. In 1974, the single test battery, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
(ASVAB), which is still used today, was established to screen and assign individuals to specific jobs
within the services.
3
, MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY
Primary role: Today, a primary role of military psychologists is providing clinical treatment to military
personnel and their families. Wars spanning from WWII to the Korean and Vietnam Wars to the recent
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in progressive conceptualizations and treatments for
deployment- and trauma-related problems. The psychological needs of military families, who are also
impacted by stressors of military life, have been acknowledged and have become an important area in
military psychology.
Positive tools: After the emergence of positive psychology new tools included in the military
psychology such as study of positive emotion, positive traits and positive institution. Providing a
framework of principles and techniques that can be used by the healthy majority. Positive psychology
can be used to enhance resilience and teach individuals to adjust more effectively to new circumstance
and stressors.
Areas of study
The goals and missions of current military psychologists have been retained over the years
Terrorism
Operational psychology
Tactical psychology
Health, organizational, and occupational psychology
Feminism
i. Terrorism: The applied aspects of military psychology includes terrorism,
counterterrorism, information management and psychological warfare. It is important to understand
when and how the label of terrorism is applied because of its psychological impact. The
causes, goals, methodology, and strategy of the terrorist mindset is well suited for psychological inquiry
and the development of the strategy and tactics used to confront it. Terrorists have tended to be from
among the more well educated in their host countries. They often have developed a well thought out, but
not very often publicized or well articulated, rigid ideology that provides the foundation for their
strategy and tactics. Psychologically disturbed terrorists increase the risk of damage to the terror
organization's strategic outcomes.
As in any organization, mentally disturbed terrorists are a liability and the leaders of terrorist
groups are well aware of the risks that these types of persons present. As any good organizational leader,
the effective terrorist will try to recruit the best person for the job. It is doubtful that modern terrorist
groups would adopt the affirmative action and other hiring practices dictated under employment laws in
4
