The Basic Attributes Tests (BAT) System: A Preliminary Evaluation of Three Cognitive Subtasks

Abstract

In 1955, the U.S Air Force discontinued apparatus-based testing as a component of its aircrew selection and classification system due to administrative problems. Since then, the Air Force has relied on paper and pencil test batteries such as the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test to select pilot and navigator trainees. Unfortunately, the aircrew selection system without apparatus testing failed to produce acceptible attrition rates in light of escalating training costs. As a result, a computer based testing system, the Basic Attributes Tests (BAT) system, was developed to assess psychomotor skills as well as a variety of psychological and cognitive attributes that are believed to be related to flight training performance. This paper evaluated three subtests used to assess cognitive abilities: Perceptual Speed (information input efficiency), Decision Making Speed (low level cognitive and high level sensory-perceptual motor involvement) and Item Recognition (short-term memory storage, search and comparison operations). Each of the subtests was evaluated in terms of its internal consistency and ability to predict flight training performance. An integrated model, based on results from the three cognitive subtests, was evaluated against flight training performance criteria.