2020, Volume 26, Issue 2

PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF ADOLESCENTS PLANNING TO START AVIATION TRAINING. PRELIMINARY STUDY

PIOTR ZIELIŃSKI¹
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¹Department of Aviation Psychology, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine


Autor korenspondencyjny: PIOTR ZIELIŃSKI; Department of Aviation Psychology, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine; email: pzielins@wiml.waw.pl

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Streszczenie

Introduction: Cognitive and psychomotor skills as well as selected personality traits are important factors determining success in aviation training. Many people decide to take the aviation career at an early age, so the question arises whether the psychological features visible in developmental age can be a basis for predicting success in adulthood.

Methods: The analysis took into account the results of psychological tests of 97 people (15-16 years old) who were enrolled in the Aviation High School, then after graduation again tested as candidates for aviation studies. Measurements of the stability of the psychological variables were calculated, as well as the factor structure of the results. Then, the predictive value of factors distinguished in this analysis was determined.

Results: Despite the visible developmental changes in cognitive functions (higher results in the second assessment), most of the indicators are characterized by a satisfactory stability. In the structure of the results, six relatively independent factors were distinguished, one of which, defined as general intellectual ability, turned out to be the best predictor of a positive qualification in later assessment.

Discussion and Conclusions: The obtained results allow us to conclude that the psychological tests and indicators used in the study of adolescents seem to be adequate and guarantee high stability of measurements, even over a period of several years. As predicted, the greatest predictive power has the general intellectual ability, which is the basic property
that allows the acquisition and consolidation of other skills.

Słowa kluczowe

cognitive performance, developmental changes, factor analysis, measurement stability, psychomotor performance