NAMRL-1117

00S~NEED SATISFACTION IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF THIE DORu

Steven F. Bucky, and John Burd

I OP

I4

INFORMATION SERVICE

September 1970

Approved for public release,distribution unlm•ited.

NEED SATISFACTION IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE DOR

Steven F. Bucky, and John Burd

Bureau of Medicine and SurgeryMF 12.524.002.5001D

K°

Approved by Released by

Ashton Graybiel, M. D. Captain N. W. Allebach, MC, USNAssistant for Officer in Charge

Scientific Programs

16 Sept.mber 1970

Naval Aerospace Medical Research Labo!'.toryNaval Aerospace Medical InstituteNaval Aerospace Medical Center

Pensacola, Flodida 32512

• :• • : •' ' ....I ....•I = / ... .... .••* '*'•'•I ....................• '• •' ..... • • ' •"....... ...• . .... • ...... • ...... .• ............. ... ... . .. ... ... ... .. .......... ...... ...

SUMMARY PAGE ,

THE PROBLEM

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether: 1) student pilots whovoluntarily dror from the program (DORs) and those who successfully complete trainingenter the flight program with different "needs," and 2) whether DORs and "completers"differ in their evaluation of the program' s ability to satisfy their needs. The needs thatwere explored were those of the Maslow hlerarchy, including physiologlcal, safety andsecurity, social, self-esteem, and self-actuallzation needs.

Eighty-seven aviation officer candidates were given a questionnaire designed tomeasure optimism, relevance, and Importance in terms of the five needs described above.They were given the test initially on the third day after entering the prcgram (Time I),and then again after 9 weeks of training (Time I I).

FINDINGS

The results indicate that DORs differ from completers In their evaluation of InKwwell their needs are satisfied. W~thln the first 9 weeks of training, DORs Indicatedthat meeting their needs was more "Important," though they were less "satisfied" and

"optimistic" than completers, particularly with regard to the zelf-actualization need.

,Ij

Unclassified'11% Chi g I -1 , ollm

DOCUMENT CONTROL DATA.- R & D

,. .... , ' wp' 11' 0 'I owll . -- I

Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory 0ncloss'fe(

Pensacola, Florida 32512. .

Need Satisfacitlon in the Identification of the OR

Lt. Steven F. Bucky, MSC. USNR and Lt(ig) John Burd, USN

9 Au.ust 1970 9_.__ 4Ail 10.VO0N Ti S( - • lklllF, I A ~ t t1 1111•I' 1 1. ',3 1 1! IN7l ,l~ l ~~

h, Ite 6, lk, t t, tBUM.D NAMRL".1117

/M,F12.524.002.500 1D D. .. ,. .. .. ,, . ,.60

1 , 1-6 1_ttI_1___aI ft_ tlaM r

Approved for public reloosa: distribution unlimited.

Ig I l0 t ItL I MYgF I A N i tt) r" t. A1tgYt gi tttI I llt 'A i t t. .I " I

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether: (-) "ident pilots who voluntarily dropfrom the program (DORs) and those who successfully complete i' tning enter the flight program withdifferent "needs, " and (2) whether DORs and "completers" diffe, ir their own evaluation of the pro-

),:m' s ability to satisfy their need6, The needs that w.,r. explorei 'vere those of the Maslow hierar-chy, including physiolc,'jlcal, safety and security, so'. .:, self ..,stee-n, ,,nd self-actualization needs.

Elghty-seven aviation officer candidates were given a question:,aire designed to measure optimism,

relevance, ard importance In terms of the five needs described above, They were given the testinitially on the third day after entering the program (rime I), and then again after 9 weeks of train-Ing (Time I1I). "

The results indicate that DORs differ from complaters in their evaluation of how well their needs are 1satisfied. Within the first 9 weeks of the training, DORs Indicated that meeting their needs wasmore "important," though they were less "satisfied" and "optimistic" than completers, particularlywith regard to the self-actualization need.

DD 7o1•,1473 (A,,tt Innii iS..... .... "Unclo~ssified

Unclaoifled

" 1 0 A 1 1 ..... 10... .

Aviation persinael

Need satisfaction

Maslow' s hierarchy

Aviation training

Psychological studies

Dn,'°"P.o. 14 7 3 (WA K) Unclassified~PA;( 2

INTRODUCTION

From 1960 to 1966, appruxImately 32 per cant of all student naval aviatort, didnot complete Flight training. Slightly more them a third of this attrition group droppedat their own req'jest (1). To support the need of Ilie Naval Air Training Command forthe early IdantIfI ;,tion of potential attrition among flight students, the present studywas conducted to determine whether: 1) student pilots who voluntarily drop from theprogram (DC.Is/ ant: those who ultimutely complete training enter the flight programwitti different "neec.," and '.) whether DORs and completers differ In their evaluationof the prograrr' s abi ity to .itisfy these needs,

Previous research :io,, indicated that eaci, individual strives toward the fulfillmentof various hierarchical nees. A hierarchical need implies that some needs must besatisfied in order for the individual to be able ,o strive toward the fulfillmlent oF theneedq at the next highest level (e.g., once one' s physiological needs are mel), unethen works toward the svitisfaction of safety and security needs, etc.) Maslow suggestedthe following hierarchi,.al orgainization: physiological needs, safety and security needs,social needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization needs (3). Physiological necdsfocus on the individual's sense c f physical well-being. Safety and secrurity refe to how

well protected he feels. Socda needs reflect the individual's opportunity to devel'rclose relationships with others. Self-esteem concentrate on the mndi .dual' s feelingsof worth. Self-actualization focuses on the individual' s feeling of fulfillment.

i, using such a paeadgm, it would appear .hat DORs may be bringing differentneeds to the training program and, therefore, mny view the program as being more orless satisfying to their needs. As a result, a questionnaire (4) was devised to evaluate:1) the student' s optimism in terms of his feeling as t. how well the program is able tome-! his needs; I2n o--'relevant each need is to him; 3) how Irm ortant the studentv.ews the ultimate satisfaction f each need; and 4) the student' s satisfaction with re-gard to the program's ability to fulfill the various needs.

PROCEDURE

SUBJECTS

The subjects were 87 aviation officer candidates (AOCs). Of this initial group,64 completed the aviation training program and 23 voluntarily withdrew. Each AOCwas given the questionnaire twice: Initially, on the third day of the program (Time I),and again after 9 weeks (Time I I). Those who did not remain in the flight program forot least 9 weeks were excluded from the study.

I

QUESTIONNAIRE

The questionnaire consisted of 28 Items, five of which measured physiologmlzneeds; seven were meusures of safety and security needg; six were measures of the in-dividual' s social needs; three were measures of self esteem; ten were measures of theIndivlduaJ' s need to be self-actualized, Each respoindent was to evaluate each quos-tion three times, IndicatingI A) how much of the c:haracteristic is presently connectedwith his position In the military (optimism); B) how much of the characteristic dues hethink should be connected with his position in the military (relevance); and C) howImrporft iste characteristic to him (importance), Satisfaction was measured by theratio o ahe degree of a particular characteristic present to how much should there be(A/B). Each response was placed on a seven-point ratinrj scale, measuring the degreeof the characteristic being rated, ranging from hone, 1, to unl~mited, 7,

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results were analyzed by means of multiple regression and analysis of variance,The anialysis of variance took the form of a 2x2x5x3 fixed design; the criterion measurewas the meon of the seven-point rating scale. A similar unwelghted-mean solution wasmade of satisfaction, using as the criterion measur3 the mean of the ratio of the opti-mism relevance judgment. The results In Table I Indicat. that the main effects of time,needs, and judgments, as well as all second-order interactions between them were sig-nifica,,: at the .01 level or less. Inspection of the means of the main effects indi-cated that: (a) student pilots' evaluation of the program increased across time; (b)safety and security, social, and self-esteem needs were met in Maslow' s hierarchicalorder, but physiological and self-actualization needs were met at about the sume levelas social needs; (c) Judgments were in increasing order from optimismn, relevance, to

importance (Figure 'i).

Of primary Interest in Table I was the interaction of the group factor. Both theinteroction of the groups with judgments (AD' ) and with Judgments by needs (ACD')were significant at the .05 level or less.

Figure 1 presents schematically the significcint interaction of groups with judgments

(AD'). As may be noted, the DORs' profile (dashed I ne) tended to be lower than thatof the completers on optimism and relevance, hut crossed over and was higher on im-portance.

Fiqure 2 presents the significant interaction of groups with judgments by needs(ACD1 ). The main difference in group profiles may be seen to be within optimism

(open circles) in which the largest difference between groups was self-octualization.

2

Table i

Summary or Analysis of Vairarce--Unwelghted Moans Solution--AcrobhThrae Judgment Categorles: Optimism, Relevance, Importance

Source of Variation df MS F p

A' (Comp vs DOR) 1 3.8208 0.6788 nsSubi w, groups (Swg) 62 5.5662

Within Subjects

B' (Time) 1 194.0691 101.7827 .001AB' 1 1.2811 0.6718 nsB x Swg 62 1.9067

C' (Needs) 4 32.9786 37.1631 .001AC' 4 0. 1V '3 0.1907 nsC x Swg 248 0.8874

D' (Judgment category) 2 200,3337 161.7159 .001AD' 2 5.5068 4.4452 .05D x Swg 124 1.2388

BC' 4 3. 8053 8. 6503 .001ABC' 4 0.3830 0.8706 nsBC x Swg 248 0.4399

D' 2 ,.6529 20.7002 .001ABD' 2 0.2116 0.5723 nsBD x Swg 124 0.3697

CD' 8 3.6850 15.6675 .001ACV' 8 0.5735 2.4383 .025CD x Swg 496 0.2352

BDC' 8 1.3770 13.4079 .01ABCD' 8 0.0860 0.8373 nsBCD x Swg 496 0.1027

T9T7

,. .... 3

0 OPIMISMCOMPTS01 RELEVANCE0i3 IMPORTANCE

SATISFACTIOND22

5. 2

4,48

.4.

B. 6

4,2 02 D3,

II

WV iqur I/

44

I &

I I

I()

3.8 ,I

3 .6 - "...•.. ,-..,- .. ..

JUDGMENTS "•Figqure 1

Compo,•dte Judgment Scores for Completers and U)ORs

4

Optimism Relevance Importance Satisfactlon- m4 13 --- -- I - -- . . .W..M*.4

Compieters-.... DOR&

5I6a - II

5.4

W 4.8 - 3

4.6 -I

Z ,i /

o D2 : -# 0 0.9~

{/4/2" /•/"0

0 4.4-

E 4.2 - 00.80 Y0 . 084.0- D

3.64 - //.

3,2

3.0 DO.,C2 C 3 C4 C 5

Phy SaSSe Social S Est S Act

NEEDSFkjuie 2

Interaction Between Ne~eds and Judgmenti's

The ,ummary of analylli or vorlunce of satisfcatlon (ratio ef optfmisn/relevanee)shown In Table II gave rmsults analogous to those obtulned using the Judgment auteolorles of optimlim, relevance, rind Importance, III Figure 1, the slgniflateitt (p.o .05)main effect of groups (A') Indicated that the campleter. were more atlifted th•nr ftnDOI,. The signiflaat (p-' 01) Interaction of groups with needb (AC') prsetetad IIIFigure 2 Indicated that, within tatlifactlon (..olld circles), the U01RS' needs weresatisfied In an almost linear descendinj hlieranhy of physioloogical, safety und security,aoc:lal, self-esteem, and self -actualInution, The completers' needs were enemallytore satisfied on the last four listed needs) 14owever, their social, ielf-esteem, o aqtd

self -actuonlon moneeds appoared to be equally satisfied,

In order to determine whether the assumption of homv,,.neity was met In theunweight.sd-meon solutions, analyses of variance were made within eoah group. 'rhediffi•,renco beNeeer, similar wtthIn-subjeat error varlance terms was nonsignlflcant, Ofmagnitude, except the completers' time x sublect (M x Swg) error variance whi•h, uom-

pared to that for the DORI, approached signfaicunce,

The results of the multiple regresslon analyslis Indlcated that ublng any one of thefollowing Time II varlables-self-actuallzatlon/optlris, self.,aatualiotion/satls-faction, or self-esteem/satlsuotion - discriml noted between completers and DORs,Correlations of approximately ,35 (p< ,01) were obtained, Inclusion of moie than onepr,*dlctor did not add signifianantly to the varianue accounted for of approximately 13par cent.

The results deocribad above present a number of Implications (`or the prediction ofthe DOR, The DOR is less optimistic In terms of the program' s ability to satisfy hisneeds (again, this does not Include physiological needs), Satisfying the needs appearsto be slightly more Important for the DOR than for tho, completer,

It Is worth noting that previous research has suggested that AOCs are a homo-genous group of subjects. They are all male, college graduates, approximately 21years of age, who, In general, are highly motivated for a rigorous training program(2). The results of the present study suggest that, when separating the homogenousAOC group into completers and DO11s, the latter are even letis variable than tht com-pleters. Such findings suggest that DORI may be more rigid and less flexible In theirability tM adjust to various stressful sitL,•tions.

S~6

FiIi

Iummully of Atial•,il o( Vto•a, -Iwt teIo's IhW a utloun.

stovm of Volutlli sit MSs

A' (Comp- vs DOlt) I 0,130t 51442 ,0ISUhl w. groupt (SWOp A2 0,/31i

B' (TIMo) I 0.3414 10.0411 10OJAS' I0.0112 3.3294

r Bswd 6V 0 10340

C' (Needs) 4 6,l1/'61: 1,11,066 100nAC' .(J,0i43 0l00() ,(IC wo; O.01U0

1. 0, h1411 10,0000 lootAM I' 0. (091 I I:'311C • Swu 2400

7II

REFERENCES

1, Aerospace Psychology Dtvlslc.n, Naval Air Training student 3vlatlon statistics1960-1966. Special Report 68-1. Pensacola, Fla,. Naval AeropaceMedleal instltlite, 1968,

2, Bulky, ý, F., Splelberger, C, D,, and Bale, R. M,, Anxiety and tise tudentnaval aviator, NAMRL-I125, Pensacola, Fla, t Naval Aerospace MedicalRemiarch Laboratory, 1970,

3. Maslow, A., #,, Motivation and Peoallt, New York, Harper amd Row, 19•44,

4. Schuh, A, J., ariel Trokler, J. T.in Modlrloatlari of questlomnalre. Iro 1, 'arter,L. W., A itudy of pericelved tiid satisfactilIn bottomn and m'dle manage--ment jobs, J._Appl._P~ycheiol, 4511-10, 1161.

71