Examining personality for the selection and classification of soldiers: Validity and differential validity across jobs

A number of past studies have demonstrated that personality traits are modest predictors of workplace attitudes and behaviors and can provide incremental validity over cognitive ability. However, less is known about the utility of personality for job classification. In addition, concerns about the effects of faking on personality measures still remain. In this study, we examined the validity of a forced choice personality measure administered under operational conditions to explore the use of personality traits in high-stakes settings. In addition, we also examined the potential use of personality for classification into military occupational specialties (MOS). We explored these issues in a large sample of Soldiers from five different MOS to examine the prediction of performance during initial military training (IMT). Results indicated that composites of personality traits were valid predictors of performance and attrition and that these composites may be useful for classifying individuals into different military occupations. The implications of these results for Soldier selection and classification are discussed.