DTIC ADA290712: Psychological Profile of Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Instructor Personnel.

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Naval  Medical  Research  Institute 

8901  Wisconsin  Avenue 
Bethesda,  MD  20889-5607 


NMRI  94-84 


November  1994 


THE  PSYCHOLOGICAL  PROFILE 

OF 


SURVIVAL,  EVASION,  RESISTANCE,  AND  ESCAPE 
INSTRUCTOR  PERSONNEL 


J.  M.  Govia,  Ph.D.  D  1  *  r* 

ELECT  E 
FEB  2  3 1995 

0  G 


D 


Naval  Medical  Research 
and  Development  Command 
Bethesda,  Maryland  20889-5606 

19950217  036 

Bureau  of  Medicine  and  Surgery 
Department  of  the  Navy 
Washington,  DC  20372-5120 

Approved  for  public  release; 
distribution  is  unlimited 


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TECHNICAL  REVIEW  AND  APPROVAL 
NMRI  94-84 

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Commanding  Officer 
Naval  Medical  Research  Institute 


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1.  AGENCY  USE  ONLY  (Leave  blank)  2.  REPORT  DATE 


3.  REPORT  TYPE  AND  DATES  COVERED 


novemb: 


4.  TITLE  AND  SUBTITLE 

PSYCHOLOGICAL  PROFILE  OF  SURVIVAL,  EVASION, 
RESISTANCE  AND  ESCAPE  INSTRUCTOR  PERSONNEL 


6.  AUTHOR(S) 

JOSEPH  MICHAEL  GOVIA,  PhD*  (LCDR,  MSC,  USNR) 


7.  PERFORMING  ORGANIZATION  NAME(S)  AND  ADDRESS(ES) 
Naval  Medical  Research  Institute 
Commanding  Officer 
8901  Wisconsin  Avenue 
Bethesda,  Maryland  20889-5607 


8.  PERFORMING  ORGANIZATION 
REPORT  NUMBER 


NMRI  94-84 


9.  SPONSORING /MONITORING  AGENCY  NAME(S)  AND  ADDRESS(ES) 

Naval  Medical  Research  and  Development  Command 

National  Naval  Medical  Center 

Building  1,  Tower  12 

8901  Wisconsin  Avenue 

Bethesda,  Maryland  20889-5606 


11.  SUPPLEMENTARY  NOTES 

FASOTRAGULANT  DET  BRUNSWICK 

Naval  Air  Station,  Box  16 
Brunswick,  ME  04011-5000 


12a.  DISTRIBUTION /AVAILABILITY  STATEMENT 


10.  SPONSORING /MONITORING 
AGENCY  REPORT  NUMBER 


12b.  DISTRIBUTION  CODE 


Approved  for  public  release;  distribution  is  unlimited. 


13.  ABSTRACT  (Maximum  200  words) 

The  Psychological  Profile  of  Navy  Survival,  Evasion,  Resistance,  and 
Escape  (SERE)  Instructor  Personnel  is  critical  to  the  success  of  this 
type  of  training.  Sixty- four  SERE  instructors  were  administered  a 
clinical  interview;  the  Shipley,  MMPI-2,  NEO  PI-R,  Rosenzweig  P-F 
Study,  Locke-Wallace  Marital  Inventory,  and  the  Holmes -Rahe  Life  Change 
Index.  The  findings  revealed  that  the  SERE  instructor  personnel  were 
a  mature,  bright,  and  psychologically  healthy  group  of  individuals. 
The  extant  Navy  criteria  for  SERE  instructor  duty  is  appropriate  and 
should  be  continued. 


REF:  NMRI  83-15  Report  No.  1 


TOTO  QTTM/CfT  m SES0S3B  4 


14.  SUBJECT  TERMS 


[  15.  NUMBER  OF  PAGES 


PROFILE;  ESCAPE;  EVASION;  RESISTANCE 


16.  PRICE  CODE 


17  SECURITY  CLASSIFICATION  j  18.  SECURITY  CLASSIFICATION  19.  SECURITY  CLASSIFICATION  20.  LIMITATION  OF  ABSTRACT 
OF  REPORT  OF  THIS  PAGE  OF  ABSTRACT 

Unclassified  Unclassified  Unclassified  Unlimited 


NSN  7540-01 -280-S500 


Standard  form  298  (Rev.  2-89) 
t>>  ANSi  Sic  235**8 

298-U2 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Method . 5 

Results . 8 

Table  1 .  9 

Table  2 . 10 

Table  3 . 11 

Table  4 . 13 

Table  5 . 14 

Table  6 . 16 

Figure  1 . 12 

Figure  2 . 15 

Discussion . 17 

Acknowledgement  .  23 

References . 24 


l 


SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


The  Psychological  Profile 
of 

SERE  Instructor  Personnel 

Survival,  Evasion,  Resistance,  and  Escape (SERE)  training 
is  critical  to  the  men  and  women  of  the  armed  forces  who  may 
someday  be  at  risk  for  capture  by  a  government  hostile  to  the 
United  States .  SERE  training  involves  rudimentary  instruction 
in  emergency  first  aid,  evasion  and  land  navigation, 
resistance  to  interrogation,  and  ideas  on  how  to  escape  from 
captivity.  SERE  training  also  enables  an  individual  to 
become  familiar  with  some  of  the  psychological  effects  of 
detention;  it  aids  the  individual  in  preparing  him/herself 
for  the  many  ways  in  which  a  captor  will  attempt 
exploitation; and,  it  also  enables  individuals  the  opportunity 
to  acquire  the  skills  necessary  to  survive  such  an  experience 
with  honor  and  integrity. 

The  importance  of  SERE  training  is  widely  recognized  and 
accepted  by  each  of  the  uniformed  services.  Individuals  most 
at  risk  for  capture  -  pilots,  navigators,  intelligence 
officers,  and  air  crew  personnel,  are  encouraged,  if  not 
required,  to  receive  this  specialized  training.  After  action 
analysis  of  Prisoner  of  War  (POW)  experiences  from  World  War 
II,  Korea,  Viet  Nam,  and,  more  recently,  Desert  Storm,  forced 
military  planners  into  dealing  with  this  possibility  of 


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SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


capture  or  detention.  Indeed,  military  planners  now 
recognize  that  without  SERE  training,  personnel  are  likely  to 
be  manipulated  and  coerced  into  divulging  information  that 
would  put  themselves  or  other  Americans  at  risk  for  capture 
or  compromise.  Without  such  training,  there  is  concern  that 
under  extreme  duress  individuals  may  lose  respect  for 
themselves,  experience  a  loss  of  honor,  or  even  question 
their  own  integrity. 

Amidst  the  recognized  need  for  SERE  training,  the  next 
concern  becomes  "who  are  most  eligible  to  train  the  men  and 
women  who  may  likely  fall  into  harms  way?"  Within  the  Navy, 
active  duty  enlisted  personnel  must  clear  two  hurdles  to 
become  eligible  for  SERE  instructor  duty.  First,  the 
Enlisted  Transfer  Manual  (NAVPERS  15909E)  provides  guidelines 
for  anyone  seeking  to  become  a  SERE  instructor.  Individuals 
must  volunteer  for  such  duty.  They  must  pass  both  a  physical 
and  psychological  evaluation  to  insure  their  suitability  for 
the  training.  They  must  also  be  qualified  second-class 
swimmers,  career  designated,  and  possess  a  secret  security 
clearance . 

The  second  hurdle  involves  a  commanding  officer's 
responsibility  for  determining  an  individual's  suitability 
for  SERE  instructor  duty.  Commanding  officers  are  required 
to  evaluate  prospective  instructors  for  appearance, 


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deportment,  physical  fitness,  freedom  from  financial  burden, 
the  absence  of  alcohol -related  incidents,  oral  and  written 
communication  skills,  good  character,  and  amiability. 
Performance  requirements  on  a  4.0  point  scale  for  service- 
members  in  the  rank  of  Chief  Petty  Officer  through  Master 
Chief  Petty  Officer  should  have  an  overall  average  of  3.6  or 
greater,  with  evidence  of  continued  improvement.  Individuals 
in  the  rank  of  Petty  Officer  Second  Class  and  Petty  Officer 
First  Class  must  obtain  3.6  scores  for  at  least  24  months. 
Deficits  in  any  of  these  requirements  are  sufficient  to 
preclude  them  from  participating  in  SERE  instructor  duty. 
Irrespective  of  pay  grade,  all  prospective  instructors  must 
possess  a  secret  security  clearance. 

The  Navy  SERE  School  in  Brunswick,  ME,  is  approximately 
thirty  years  old.  Conceived  from  the  lessons  learned  about 
American  POW  behavior  during  World  War  II  and  Korea,  the 
program  was  active  in  preparing  Naval  and  Marine  Corps 
personnel  for  duty  in  Southeast  Asia  during  the  Viet  Nam 
Conflict.  More  recently,  participants  in  Operation  Desert 
Storm  also  had  the  opportunity  to  apply  the  skills  acquired 
in  SERE  training. 

Curley  and  deCspikes  (1983)  conducted  a  study  which 
sought  to  identify  the  personality  and  demographic 
characteristics  of  a  sample  of  twenty-eight  SERE  instructors. 


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This  study  focused  on  the  delineation  of  superior  performing, 
high  performing,  and  [average]  performing  instructors  and 
their  salient  personality  characteristics.  Curley  and 
deCspikes  observed  their  sample  was  free  of  psychopathology 
and  was  significantly  achievement -oriented.  The  current 
investigation  is  an  attempt  to  replicate  their  efforts; 
however,  unlike  their  study,  no  attempt  was  made  to  have 
level  of  performance  evaluated  as  superior,  high,  or 
performing. 

As  in  the  earlier  study,  recent  staff  at  the  Brunswick 
school  are  a  varied  admixture  of  job  occupations  and 
seniority.  They  represent  a  cross-section  of  the  many  highly 
qualified  individuals  who  make  up  the  Navy  and  Marine  Corps . 
The  results  of  their  psychological  assessments  are  reviewed 
below.  In  doing  so,  attention  is  given  to  their 
demographics,  performance  on  standardized  testing,  and  self 
reports  of  level  of  stress  and  typical  pattern  of  coping. 
Such  information  should  prove  helpful  in  discerning  whether 
the  extant  criteria  for  selection  to  SERE  duty  is  effective 
in  screening  out  psychopathology. 


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Method 

Subjects 

Subjects1  for  this  study  were  64  men  and  women  enlisted 
active  duty,  U.S.  Navy  personnel  who  had  been  assigned  to  the 
Navy  SERE  School  in  Brunswick,  ME.  As  assignment  to  this 
school  was  not  available  to  everyone,  the  sample  was  not  a 
random  one;  rather,  it  reflected  the  reality  of  individual 
choice,  initiative,  and  careful  screening.  Psychological 
assessment  was  required  of  all  individuals  who  were  assigned 
to  SERE  training;  they  received  this  assessment  after 
completion  of  the  SERE  course  but  before  they  were  formally 
enrolled  in  the  SERE  instructor  curriculum.  Additional 
psychological  assessment  was  also  required  of  all  instructor 
personnel  at  yearly  intervals  to  detect  any  changes  in  their 
psychological  status . 

Instruments 

Shiplev  Institute  of  Living  Scale.  The  Shipley 
Institute  of  Living  Scale  (Shipley;  Zachary,  1991)  is  a  brief 
screening  measure  of  intellectual  functioning.  It 

specifically  attempts  to  assess  word  knowledge  and  abstract 
analytical  reasoning  skills.  On  the  basis  of  the  ratio  of 


As  a  result  of  the  limited  number  of  women  participating  in  SERE  instructor  duty 
(N=5) ,  no  effort  was  made  to  separate  their  data  from  their  male  counterparts. 
Additionally,  only  male  pronouns  were  used  in  referring  to  the  subjects. 


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vocabulary  to  abstract  reasoning  scores,  an  estimated 
Wechsler  Adult  Intelligence  Scale  -  Revised  IQ  score  is 
obtained  (WAIS-R;  Wechsler,  1981) .  Previous  research  with 
the  Shipley  revealed  that  it  is  an  acceptable  screening 
measure  of  intellectual  ability  (Heinemann,  Harper,  Friedman, 
&  Whitney,  1985;  Zachary,  Crumpton,  &  Spiegel,  1985) . 

Minnesota  Multiphasic  Personality  Inventory  -  Revised. 
The  Minnesota  Multiphasic  Personality  Inventory  -  Revised 
(MMPI-2 ;  Hathaway  &  McKinley  1989)  is  a  revision  of  the 
original  Minnesota  Multiphasic  Personality  Inventory  (MMPI; 
Hathaway  &  McKinley,  1940) .  It  is  a  567-item,  true-false, 
multi -dimensional  measure  of  personality  functioning.  The 
MMPI-2  was  developed  to  measure  personality  functioning,  in 
general,  and  detect  the  presence  of  psychopathology,  in 
particular.  Considerable  research  supports  the  use  of  the 
MMPI-2  for  these  purposes  (e.g.,  Butcher,  Dahlstrom,  Graham, 
Tellegen,  &  Kaemmer,  1989;  Graham,  1990;  Greene,  1991). 

Revised  NEO  Personality  Inventory.  The  Revised  NEO 
Personality  Inventory  (NEO  PI-R;  Costa  &  McCrae,  1992)  is 
also  a  multi -dimensional  measure  of  personality;  however, 
unlike  the  MMPI-2,  the  NEO  PI-R  is  not  concerned  with 
psychopathology.  Instead,  it  is  primarily  focused  on  the 
assessment  of  "normal"  personality  functioning.  The  NEO  PI-R 
is  based  on  a  five- factor  model  of  personality  functioning. 


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This  model  advocates  that  personality  can  be  most 
parsimoniously  described  across  five  factors:  Neuroticism, 
Extraversion,  Openness  to  Experience,  Agreeableness,  and 
Conscientiousness.  Considerable  research  has  been  generated 
on  the  five-factor  model  of  personality  functioning,  and  the 
reader  is  directed  to  McCrae  and  Costa  (1990)  for  a  thorough 
review  of  this  research. 

Rosenzweig  Picture -Frustration  (P-F)  Study.  The 

Rosenzweig  Picture-Frustration  Study  (P-F  Study;  Rosenzweig, 
1978)  is  a  semi -projective  measure  of  aggression.  The 
uniqueness  of  the  measure  is  noted  in  its  neutral  view  of 
aggression,  where  such  behavior  is  labelled  positive  or 
negative  depending  on  the  outcome.  Rosenzweig  postulated 
that  individuals  respond  to  frustration  by  becoming 
preoccupied  with  a  given  source  of  frustration  (Obstacle- 
Dominance)  ,  taking  it  personally  (Ego-Defense) ,  or  else 
seeking  a  constructive  solution  to  a  perceived  source  of 
frustration  (Need-Persistence) .  In  addition,  reactions  to 
frustration  are  directed  toward  others  (Extraggression) , 
inward  ( Intraggression) ,  or  else  by  disregarding  the 
experience  (Imaggression) .  Considerable  research  has  been 
generated  on  this  instrument  and  a  review  is  offered  by  Govia 
(1983)  . 


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SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


Procedure 

Upon  reporting  to  the  Navy  SERE  School,  most  subjects 
were  given  a  clinical  interview,  the  MMPI-2,  and  the  P-F 
Study.  Approximately  one  year  later  they  were  given  another 
clinical  interview,  administered  the  NEO  PI-R  and  the 
Shipley.  Although  69  instructors  received  a  psychological 
assessment,  incomplete  data  existed  for  some  instructors,  and 
the  sample  sizes  for  the  specific  analyses  varied. 

Results 

A  review  of  the  demographics  of  the  instructor  personnel 
revealed  the  average  instructor  was  32  years  old  and  had  been 
on  active  duty  for  approximately  12  years  and  9  months .  He 
possessed  13  years  of  education  and  had  an  estimated  WAIS-R 
IQ  in  the  average  range  of  ability.  Fifty- seven  instructors 
were  married,  seven  were  single  and  unmarried,  two  were 
separated,  and  three  were  divorced. 


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Table  1 

Demographics  of  SERE  Instructor  Personnel  (N=69) 


Current 

Former 

(N=28) 

Mean 

SD 

Mean 

SD 

Age 

32 

5 

35.3 

7.4 

Active  Duty 
(Months) 

152 

56 

181.7 

63.9 

Education 

13 

1 

12.8 

1.5 

IQ 

103 

15 

Not  Available 

Married 

57 

II  II 

Single 

7 

H  II 

Separated 

2 

II  II 

Divorced 

3 

II  II 

The  data  from  the  earlier  study  by  Curley  and  deCspikes  (1983) 
was  gleaned  from  their  article  and  was  presented 
here  for  purposes  of  comparison. 

Summary  statistics  for  the  MMPI-2  clinical  scales 
are  presented  in  Table  2  and  summary  statistics  for  the 
MMPI-2  content  scales  are  presented  in  Table  3.  On  the 
MMPI-2,  T-Scores  less  than  65  are  considered  normal  while 
scores  above  65  connote  less  health.  A  review  of  the 
validity  scale  indices  revealed  the  presence  of  the  "V" 
configuration  for  L,  F,  and  K.  All  of  the  clinical  and 
selected  content  scales  fell  within  normal  limits.  The 


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validity  and  clinical  scales  profile  is  presented  in 
Figure  1. 


Table  2 

Raw  Score  Summary  Statistics  for  the  MMPI-2  Clinical 
Scales  (N=64 ) 


Mean 

T-Score 

SD 

L 

6 

61 

3 

F 

3 

45 

2 

K 

19 

66 

4 

1 

12 

48 

2 

2 

17 

47 

3 

3 

20 

47 

3 

4 

22 

48 

3 

5 

22 

42 

5 

6 

9 

46 

3 

7 

24 

44 

3 

8 

24 

45 

4 

9 

20 

49 

3 

0 

21 

47 

7 

A  T-scores  is  a  standardized  score  with  a  mean  of  50 
and  a  standard  deviation  of  10.  The  MMPI-2  denotes 
any  score  greater  than  65  as  significant  and  indicative 
of  pathology. 


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Table  3 

Raw  Score  Summary  Statistics  for  selected  MMPI-2 
Content  Scales  (N=64) 


Mean  T- Score  SD 


ANX 

2 

42 

2 

FRS 

2 

45 

2 

OBS 

2 

41 

2 

DEP 

2 

45 

2 

HEA 

3 

44 

2 

BIZ 

1 

46 

2 

ANG 

4 

46 

2 

CYN 

8 

47 

4 

ASP 

6 

46 

3 

TPA 

5 

43 

3 

LSE 

1 

41 

2 

SOD 

6 

47 

4 

FAM 

3 

44 

2 

A  T-score  is  a  standardized  score  with  a  mean  of  50 
and  a  standard  deviation  of  10.  The  MMPI-2  denotes 
any  score  greater  than  65  as  significant  and  indicative 
of  pathology. 


Summary  statistics  for  the  Revised  NEO  Personality 
Inventory  are  presented  in  Table  4.  The  five  factors  of 
Neuroticism,  Extroversion,  Openness  to  Experience, 
Agreeableness,  and  Conscientiousness  were  all  within 
normal  limits.  Individual  traits  of  the  five  factors  are 
presented  in  Table  5 .  All  traits  fell  within  normal 
limits.  Figure  2  displays  the  profile  of  scores  on  the 
NEO  PI-R . 


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SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


Table  4 

Raw  Score  Summary  Statistics  for  the  NEO  PI-R 
Dimensions  (N=64) 


Mean 

SD 

Neuroticism 

65 

17 

Extraversion 

112 

15 

Openness 

109 

17 

Agreeableness 

117 

15 

Conscientiousness 

126 

16 

13 


SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


Table  5 


Mean 

SD 

Anxiety- 

12 

3 

Angry  Hostility 

11 

4 

Depression 

10 

4 

Self-Consciousness 

12 

3 

Impulsiveness 

13 

4 

Vulnerability 

7 

3 

Warmth 

21 

3 

Gregariousness 

16 

5 

Assertiveness 

18 

4 

Activity 

18 

3 

Excitement -Seeking 

18 

4 

Positive  Emotions 

21 

4 

Fantasy 

17 

4 

Aesthetics 

16 

5 

Feelings 

19 

3 

Actions 

17 

3 

Ideas 

19 

5 

Values 

21 

3 

Trust 

21 

4 

Straightforwardness 

20 

4 

Altruism 

23 

3 

Compliance 

17 

3 

Modesty 

17 

4 

Tender-Mindedness 

19 

4 

Competence 

23 

3 

Order 

18 

4 

Dutifulness 

23 

3 

Achievement - Striving 

20 

4 

Self-Discipline 

23 

4 

Deliberation 

19 

3 

14 


Revised  NEO  Personality  Inventory  (NEO  PI-R) 

P*uJ  T.  Co«»,  Jr„  Ph-D.  *nd  Rober.  R.  McCr»«,  Ph.D.  Due  ___ ___ Aft 


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FIGURE  2:  Profile  of  NEO  PI-R  Factor  and  Trait  Scores 


SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


Summary  statistics  for  the  Rosenzweig  P-F  Study  are 
presented  in  Table  6.  The  three  types  of  aggression  and 
the  three  directions  of  aggression  were  all  within  normal 
limits . 

Table  6 

Raw  Score  Summary  Statistics  for  the  Rosenzweig  P-F 
Study  (N=47 ) 


Mean 


SD 


Type  of 
Aggression 

Obstacle -Dominance 
Ego -Defense 
Need- Persistence 

Direction  of 
Aggression 


4  16.7(19.6)* 

11  45.8(53.2) 

8  33.3(27.2) 


1  (7.2) 

2  (10.7) 

2  (8.5) 


Ext r aggr e  s  s i on 
Intraggression 
Imaggression 


9  37.5(43.3) 
7  29.2(28.1) 
7  29.2(28.6) 


3  (12.1) 
2  (7.6) 
7  (9.3) 


*  The  values  presented  in  the  parentheses  are  the  means  and 
standard  deviations  obtained  by  the  normative  sample.  Thus, 
the  data  reported  herein  does  not  differ  from  the  normative 
sample . 


The  mean  score  on  the  Holmes  and  Rahe  Social 
Readjustment  Scale  was  180  and  the  standard  deviation  was 
71.  This  score  indicated  the  instructors  reported 


16 


SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


"Mild  Life  Crisis  Level  with  a  35  percent  chance  of 
illness . " 

The  mean  score  on  the  Locke-Wallace  Marital 
Adjustment  Test  was  121  and  the  standard  deviation  was 
17 .  This  score  corresponds  with  the  original  research  of 
Locke  and  Wallace  (1959)  wherein  96  percent  of  their 
well-adjusted  couples  scored  100  or  higher. 

Discussion 

The  findings  of  the  present  investigation  revealed 
that  the  psychological  profile  of  SERE  instructor 
personnel  differed  very  little  from  the  previous  research 
of  Curley  and  deCspikes  (1983) .  The  typical  SERE 
instructor  is  a  mature  and  more  senior  member  of  the  U.S. 
Navy.  According  to  the  Shipley,  he  possessed  average 
intellectual  acumen.  The  MMPI-2  indicated  he  approached 
the  psychological  assessment  with  a  propensity  to  present 
himself  in  the  most  favorable  light.  He  did  so  by 
minimizing  the  significance  of  any  potential 
psychological  concerns,  which  suggested  good  ego- strength 
and  good  coping  skills.  Such  an  observation  reflected 
two  considerations:  First,  the  instructors  were  a  fairly 
psychologically  healthy  group  of  individuals.  Thus,  the 
data  presented  herein  actually  mirrored  their  current 
state  of  psychological  health. 


17 


SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


Second,  but  no  less  significant,  like  most 
vocational  assessment  findings,  the  SERE  instructors  were 
uninclined  to  reveal  anything  about  themselves  that  might 
be  construed  as  negative,  or  potentially  disqualifying. 
Amidst  the  increased  competition  for  promotion,  the 
revelation  of  any  potentially  damaging,  or  job- 
threatening,  psychological  issues  would  jeopardize  their 
career  potential,  especially  when  the  relatively  high 
status  of  instructor  duty  is  considered. 

That  the  Revised  NEO  Personality  Inventory  should 
correspond  so  closely  with  the  MMPI-2  should  come  as  no 
surprise.  The  findings  revealed  that  the  current  group 
of  SERE  instructors  was  a  generally  relaxed  group  of 
individuals.  They  were  free  of  anxiety  or  feelings  of 
remorse  or  guilt,  and  they  reported  being  comfortable  in 
a  variety  of  social  situations.  They  further  reported 
the  capacity  to  delay  gratification  for  desired  objects 
and  to  handle  stress  without  needing  to  rely  upon  others. 

The  average  SERE  instructor  is  friendly  and  enjoys 
the  company  of  others .  He  is  comfortable  in  taking 
charge  or  assuming  leadership  positions  and  also  likes  to 
be  on  the  go.  He  likes  to  engage  in  stimulating 
activity,  and  he  has  little  difficulty  in  showing  his 
enthusiasm  during  such  times. 


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SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


The  SERE  instructors  further  indicated  they 
preferred  a  balance  between  novelty  and  routine.  He  has 
an  appreciation  for  such  things  as  art,  beauty,  drama,  or 
poetry  without  a  compulsive  urge  to  indulge  himself.  He 
is  open  to  exploring  his  feelings  and  valuing  this  part 
of  his  life.  He  sometimes  likes  to  go  to  new  places,  try 
new  foods,  and  he  is  intellectually  curious  about  the 
world  around  him.  He  is  also  comfortable  with  his 
political,  religious,  and  social  beliefs. 

Interpersonally,  the  average  SERE  instructor  accepts 
others  at  face  value,  seldom  doubting  their  sincerity  or 
motivation.  He  is  candid  with  others,  cares  about  the 
general  welfare  of  others,  and  is  able  to  convert  such 
caring  into  acts  of  kindness  and  sympathy.  He  is 
cooperative  on  projects  and  often  displays  humility  and 
deference  in  dealing  with  others. 

The  typical  SERE  instructor  is  conscientious .  He 
has  a  good  sense  of  his  abilities,  is  generally 
organized,  and  can  be  expected  to  follow  through  on  his 
commitments.  He  is  achievement -oriented,  has  good  self- 
discipline  to  obtain  his  goals,  and  he  often  refrains 
from  thinking  or  acting  hastily,  preferring  to  weigh  his 
options. 


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SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


That  SERE  instructors  should  be  a  psychologically 
healthy  and  versatile  group  of  individuals  is  obvious. 
No  less  significant  in  any  evaluation  of  instructor 
personnel  is  the  nature  in  which  they  handle  frustration. 
While  both  the  MMPI-2  and  the  NEO  PI-R  reveal  a  solid 
foundation  of  healthy  psychological  functioning,  the 
Rosenzweig  P-F  Study  provides  a  unique  window  through 
which  we  can  examine  individual  reactions  to  common, 
everyday  stressors,  for  it  is  only  in  the  more  subtle, 
prosaic  situations  that  individuals  reveal  their  mettle. 

The  Rosenzweig  P-F  Study  is  instrumental  in 
discerning  whether  individuals  get  hung-up  on  myriad 
sources  of  frustration,  whether  they  react  to  such 
frustration  defensively,  or  whether  they  can  maintain 
equanimity  and  aplomb  at  such  times.  No  less  important, 
the  P-F  Study  can  also  tell  us  whether  individuals 
aggress  against  others  or  internalize  their  frustrations, 
thereby  placing  prospective  students  in  harms  way,  or  a 
less  than  healthy  training  environment. 

The  findings  revealed  the  SERE  instructors  were 
flexible  in  their  responses  to  frustration.  They  were 
neither  inclined  to  consistently  become  preoccupied  with 
a  given  source  of  frustration,  take  it  personally,  nor  to 
seek  out  constructive  solutions  to  sources  of 


20 


SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


frustration.  Similarly,  they  were  neither  inclined  to 
consistently  aggress  against  others,  themselves,  nor  to 
simply  disregard  sources  of  frustration.  Rather,  their 
responses  to  the  Rosenzweig  P-F  Study  suggested  greater 
ego- resiliency  and  flexibility  of  response  to  a  broad 
array  of  potentially  frustrating  situations. 

Finally,  the  SERE  instructors  arrived  at  this 
assignment  with  minimal  sources  of  stress  in  their  lives. 
Their  marriages  were  well-grounded,  characterized  by 
mutual  give  and  take,  and  a  keen  capacity  to  resolve  any 
differences  as  they  arise.  These  findings  are  in  accord 
with  the  data  presented  by  Curley  and  deCspikes.  Thus, 
the  data  further  suggest  that  the  steps  necessary  for 
consideration  and  selection  for  SERE  instructor  duty  are 
reasonable,  useful,  and  worthy  of  continued  adherence. 


21 


SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


BLANK 


22 


SERE  Instructor  Personnel 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

The  opinions  and  assertions  contained  herein  are  the 
private  ones  of  the  writers  and  are  not  to  be  construed 
as  official  or  reflecting  the  views  of  the  Navy- 
Department  or  the  Naval  Service  at  large. 

In  writing  this  paper,  I  want  to  express  my 
appreciation  for  the  warmth  and  encouragement  afforded  me 
by  CDR  Michael  D.  Curley,  Ph.D.,  MSC,  USNR,  who  provided 
many  insightful  and  incisive  comments.  Dr.  Curley,  thank 
you  very  much. 


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SERE  Instructor  Personnel 


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Costa,  P.T.  &  McCrae,  R.R.  (1992) .  NEO  PI-R: 
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Psychological  Assessment  Resources,  Inc. 

Curley,  M.D .  &  deCspikes,  R.  (1983) .  Personality  and 
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