Mental skills training with basic combat training soldiers: A group-randomized trial.

Area of Science:

• Military psychology
• Cognitive training
• Performance enhancement

Background:

• Cognitive skills training is associated with improved skills, self-efficacy, and performance.
• Limited rigorous, longitudinal studies with active controls exist for cognitive skills training in high-risk occupations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the efficacy of mental skills training in a high-risk occupation (basic combat training).
• To assess the impact of cognitive skills training on soldiers' skills, confidence, and performance.

Main Methods:

• A randomized trial involving 48 platoons (N=2,432 soldiers) in basic combat training.
• Comparison between a mental skills training group and an active control group (military history).
• Surveys conducted at baseline and three times during the 10-week course; multilevel mixed-effects models used for analysis.

Main Results:

• Soldiers in the mental skills training group reported increased use of cognitive skills and higher confidence compared to the control group.
• Mental skills training group demonstrated better performance in obstacle courses, rappelling, physical fitness, and initial weapons qualification.
• Observed effects were generally small and moderated by gender and previous experience.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive skills training can enhance performance in occupational and sports settings, supported by rigorous trial evidence.
• Findings contribute to the literature by validating cognitive training's positive impact on performance in demanding environments.
• Future research should investigate tailoring cognitive training based on gender and prior experience for optimal targeting.