Should all Soldiers be Sensation Seekers? The role of Personality in the Context of Operational Deployments

Abstract

Should all Soldiers be Sensation Seekers? The role of Personality in the Context of Operational DeploymentsThesis presented by Merle Parmak to obtain the degree of PhD. in Psychology and in Social and Military Sciences, 2011Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Martin Euwema and Prof. Dr. Jacques Mylle In this dissertation individual differences of soldiers psychological adaptation in a military task environment are explored. To better understand the role of personality in soldiers psychological well-being in the context of operational deployments, the dissertation takes its starting point in an interactionistic approach, the Person x Environment (P x E) theory (Lewin, 1935). The environment in operational deployments can be characterized by elevated risks and unpredictable incidents, but also by unquestionable regulations, tightly organised life and tedious tasks and duties. Being simultaneously present, these contradictive conditions chaos and order constitute a challenge for soldiers psychological adaptability. Although soldiers in general manage to adapt, there are those whose personality-based needs are less met by the reality of a particular deployment, and whose mental persistence[1] is more challenging to maintain. The author conducted a series of studies to explore the role of personality, more specifically the role of two narrow traits, Sensation Seeking and Need for Structure, in the psychological adaptability of Estonian soldiers deployed to the Helmand province, in Afghanistan, as part of NATO s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Verifying the relevance of P x E fit theory in the context of operational deployments, author s findings contribute to a field of performance research, illustrating the need of an interactional approach studying performers mental persistence in a challenging environment. We have demonstrated the importance of considering not only skills (trainable) and abilities (identifiable) of performing individuals, but also their personality-based needs that may interfere with the outcome of interest. Based on the conclusions of the dissertation, a targeted approach in military training and post-deployment programs is encouraged. As an example, a behavioural modelling technique and simulations are suggested to prepare military personnel for complex operations in contemporary environments. In addition, Third Location Decompression programs are introduced to help their transition from the operational environment back to normal life. In Chapter 1 the author explains the theoretical ground of the research and formulates the research questions. In Chapter 2, the first empirical study is presented, in which the author demonstrates that soldiers with different personality profiles perceive and evaluate the environment and tasks in different ways. Chapter 3 describes the second empirical study, in which the author reports that soldiers are normally able to adapt their personality-based needs to the environmental demands. Chapter 4 illustrates how the soldiers personality profile is related to the difficulty in adapting to the realities of deployment. In Chapter 5, the general discussion, the author describes the relevance of results in terms of theoretical and practical implications. Summary of the main findings: The two studied personality predispositions sensation seeking and need for structure influence the perceived situational structure of a task in a military environment in terms of riskiness and predictability (Ch. 2); Reflecting the operational reality in terms of increased levels of risks and restrictions, an adjustment in the expression of personality-based needs, namely in Sensation Seeking and in Need for Structure is observable (Ch. 3);Soldiers, whose personal predispositions are corresponding to the reality of deployment, namely soldiers who do like a well-ordered environment and have at least a moderate need for sensations, are the least likely to become psychologically influenced negatively by the deployment; i.e. showing the smallest decrease in well-being (Ch. 4). [1] Defined from a motivational perspective (Bandura, 1989, 1991) in terms of one s willingness or a motivational urge to intensity his efforts and persistence of exertion in this particular environment.status: publishe