A new study at The University of Texas at Arlington will look at how situational judgement tests (SJTs) can enhance soldier ingenuity in high-stakes environments.
"We're looking at scenarios where soldiers have to come up with creative solutions in resource-constrained environments," said Michelle Martín-Raugh, UT Arlington psychology professor and director of the Employee Assessment, Selection, and Training Lab. "While SJTs are established as predictive tools, there's limited research on them being used for training purposes. We really want to dive deeper into their utility for training and developing a more effective force."
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Dr. Martín-Raugh, along with fellow UTA psychology Professor Logan Watts, is leading the two-year project, which is being funded by the Army Research Institute. In year one, the team will develop various situations and responses by speaking with subject matter experts. In year two, the researchers will conduct a study examining SJT training effectiveness with soldiers at various military bases.
"Part of the beauty of SJTs, and one of the reasons they're really great predictors, is because they almost have a one-to-one correspondence to how people behave in the real world," Martín-Raugh said. "We can get real-world examples from our subject matter experts and then judgements from them on what the best and worst approaches for handling those situations might be."
The SJTs could include both technical and social challenges soldiers may face in the field. On the technical side, a scenario might involve a soldier needing to breach a door without proper equipment, requiring creative problem-solving. From a social perspective, a scenario may involve a unit with limited personnel that must repurpose roles to accomplish a mission.
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Being able to problem-solve and use creativity in these situations would increase the probability for more favorable outcomes. It's similar to the ingenuity farmers rely on—using experience-based solutions to adapt to challenges like unpredictable weather or limited resources.
"SJTs can be used to measure technical stuff, but they're also really great for assessing how people navigate complex situations that are sometimes social in nature," Martín-Raugh said.
The findings could also benefit other high-stakes professions, including firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation's top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.
