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The relationship between the U.S. Navy fleet diver physical screening test and job task performance
E J Marcinik1, D E Hyde, W F Taylor
1Hyperbaric Environmental Adaptation Program, Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|April 1, 1995
Summary
The U.S. Navy's current diver physical screening test poorly predicts job performance. Many candidates who pass the test fail essential tasks, indicating a need for better selection methods.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Occupational Health
- Military Science
Background:
- Effective job-related selection and training methods enhance safety and reduce costs.
- The U.S. Navy seeks to improve diver screening and productivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the predictive validity of the current U.S. Navy fleet diver physical screening test.
- To determine if the screening test accurately forecasts performance on physically demanding diver job tasks.
Main Methods:
- 146 male diver candidates at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center participated.
- Performance on five representative physically demanding job tasks was assessed.
- The current U.S. Navy fleet diver physical screening test results were compared to task performance.
Main Results:
- The current screening test demonstrated a poor ability to predict job task performance.
- A significant percentage of candidates passing the screening test failed critical tasks like the tool-bag swim (18.5%) and fin-kick (25.7%).
Conclusions:
- The existing physical screening test has limited utility for selecting U.S. Navy divers.
- A new, requirements-based selection battery is needed to align diver physical capabilities with job demands.
