Military+Psychology


 * Military Psychology ** applies psychological research into many different areas of the branches of military. The use of psychology is important in the military arena specifically in hiring new recruits and assigning them to compatible and appropriate jobs, keeping recruits mentally fit and stable, and advising life-saving, peace-keeping measures in military engagements.


 * Military psychologists ** have found themselves researching and implementing programs to incorporate new changes in the military. For example, military psychologists helped establish integration techniques for minority recruits during and after the civil rights movement. Additionally, these psychologists have also worked to fit female recruits into a male dominated field. With the presence of both males and females, psychologists in this field have also established programs to reduce sexual discrimination and harassment.

During World War I, a scattering of psychologists took interest in the war effort and those soldiers involved by conducting many measurements, involving issues like troop morale, emotional stability, and position performance. This early research is truly the beginning of ** Military Psychology **.

//"A school for ** military psychology ** was immediately organized in connection// with the Medical Officers' Training Camp, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, in //which a maximum of 100 student officers and approximately 100 psychologists// enlisted in the Medical Corps could be trained simultaneously during a //period of two months. This school was opened February 4 with Captain// William S. Foster, San. C., N.A. as senior instructor. Between this date //and July 1, 1918, approximately 70 officers of the Sanitary Corps and 250// men enlisted in the Medical Corps were given special training in ** military ** //** psychology **."// [|Supplemental Info]



At the start of the Second World War, American Psychological Association President, Dr. Robert Yerkes, headed a group of psychologists to discuss how psychology could assist the war effort. In 1942, this conference of psychologists established the need unified psychology organization, choosing the American Psychological Association to lead. The conference restructured remaining organizations and specialty branches to go under the APA. These changes took place in 1946 with the election of new division officers.



The United States Department of Defense actually employs more psychologists than any other organization in the world. The United States Government deliberately started hiring psychologists during World War II. One of the first contributions of psychologists was the initial mental testing of millions of recruits entering the war effort. Testing was viewed as successful and created a respected platform for psychologists to build upon.


 * Military Psychologists ** build from the original idea of mental tests by James Cattell. Mental tests were continually developed over the years, and in 1907 Shepard Franz established a psychological screening plan for psychiatric patients. This measure evolved several years later, in 1911, with the help of William White and Herbert Butts, becoming the first published protocol for psychological screening of Navy recruits.



Present day ** Military Psychologists ** have done and continue to do research on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, helping to raise awareness of the debilitating effects this disorder has on soldiers and their families.

Resources or for more information on Military Psychology: [|Division 19] [|History of Div 19]