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Organizational commitment is a psychological state that has a strong impact on the likelihood that employees will remain with an organization. Among military personnel, organizational commitment is predictive of a number of important outcomes, including reenlistment intentions, job performance, morale, and perceived readiness. Because of the unique challenges and experiences associated with military service, it may be that organizational commitment is even more critical in the military than in civilian populations. Despite the essential role that they play in protecting the health of other service members, little is known about the factors that influence Navy Corpsmen's organizational commitment. This study investigated demographic and psychosocial factors that may be associated with organizational commitment among Corpsmen.Surveys of organizational commitment and possible demographic and psychosocial correlates of organizational commitment were completed by 1,597 male, active duty Navy Corpsmen attending Field Medical Training Battalion-West, Camp Pendleton, California. Bivariate correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to determine significant predictors of organizational commitment.Of the 12 demographic and psychosocial factors examined, 6 factors emerged as significant predictors of organizational commitment in the final model: preservice motivation to be a Corpsman, positive perceptions of Corpsman training, confidence regarding promotions, occupational self-efficacy, social support for a Corpsman career, and lower depression.Importantly, a number of the factors that emerged as significant correlates of organizational commitment in this study are potentially modifiable. These factors include confidence regarding promotions, positive perceptions of Corpsman training, and occupational self-efficacy. It is recommended that military leaders and policy-makers take concrete steps to address these factors, thereby strengthening organizational commitment among Corpsmen. Further research is needed to identify ways in which organizational commitment could be strengthened among Corpsmen.

The objective of this longitudinal study was to determine psychosocial predictors of military misconduct in a cohort of Marine Corps war veterans. The study included data from 20,746 male Marines who completed a life history questionnaire during initial basic training and were subsequently deployed to a combat zone. Associations between psychosocial variables, psychiatric diagnoses, and subsequent misconduct outcomes were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression. The strongest predictors of misconduct outcomes (bad conduct discharges and military demotions) were psychiatric diagnoses and young age at first combat deployment. The results indicate that combat-related psychological disorders may manifest in numerous harmful ways, including impulsive, disruptive, and antisocial behavior. We recommend that the association between misconduct and psychiatric disorders be more explicitly acknowledged in research and treatment efforts involving military war veterans and other trauma victims.

The effect of combat and operational stress on the mental health of military personnel is a major concern. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with possible posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A questionnaire was completed by 1,569 Marines who deployed in support of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (2002-2007). Using the PTSD Checklist with a cutoff score of 44, 17.1% of the sample screened positive for possible PTSD. Of 9 demographic and psychosocial factors examined in relation to PTSD, 4 were significant in a multivariate analysis: deployment-related stressors, combat exposure, marital status, and education. Deployment-related stressors had a stronger association with PTSD than any other variable. This is an important finding because deployment-related stressors are potentially modifiable.

Understanding antisocial behavior and organizational misconduct is an important objective, because these maladaptive behaviors are disruptive and costly to organizations and to society as a whole. The objective of this study was to identify psychosocial risk factors for misconduct and antisocial behavior in a sample of Navy personnel. A group of sailors (n = 158) who had engaged in significant misconduct were compared with a demographically similar group of sailors (n = 288) who had not engaged in misconduct and who were in good standing with the Navy. The psychosocial variables that emerged as the most important risk factors for antisocial behavior were alcohol use (odds ratio [OR] = 2.42), high impulsivity (OR = 2.20), high trait hostility (OR = 1.79), and antisocial behavior of friends (OR = 1.65). The implications of these results for the military and for research on antisocial behavior are discussed.

Psychosocial factors may have an important impact on injury recovery and return to work. To explore the influence of psychosocial factors in a cohort of injured military personnel, data were collected from 166 Marine Corps basic training recruits with musculoskeletal injuries. This sample was followed prospectively to determine whether they graduated from basic training or were discharged from the Marines. Demographic, injury-related, and psychosocial factors were analyzed to determine predictors of failure to graduate from basic training. The strongest risk factors for failing to graduate were not expecting to graduate, low or uncertain career intentions, lack of determination, psychological distress, and low organizational commitment. In the final multivariate logistics model, two predictors of failure to graduate emerged: not expecting to graduate and low or uncertain career intentions. The results suggest that interventions to reduce attrition in injured military populations should be designed to counter pessimistic expectations and emphasize career opportunities.

The objectives of the present study were to determine the impact of computer administration of questionnaires on impression management (IM) and self-deceptive enhancement (SDE) and on the disclosure of sensitive information such as alcohol use and risky sex. College students ( N = 301) completed several questionnaires in either a computer-administered or paper-and-pencil condition. Respondents who completed the survey on the computer scored significantly higher on SDE than those completing the survey on paper. No differences were found for IM. Respondents in the computer condition also reported a higher level of alcohol consumption and riskier sexual behaviors than those in the paper-and-pencil condition. It is possible that computer administration of surveys creates a social situation that produces a sense of disinhibition in respondents, and this sense of disinhibition may lead to greater reports of risky behaviors.

Psychological problems are the single most common reason for attrition from U.S. Navy basic training. A contributing factor is that, although military entrance processing station physicians assess numerous aspects of physical health, there is little rigor behind attempts to identify psychological disorders. In the present study, we highlight previous research indicating that patterns of physical health symptoms can provide a gauge of psychological dysfunction. We also report significant relationships between physical symptoms, anxiety, and depression in a sample of more than 2,000 sailors. Therefore, given the links between physical symptoms and psychological problems, it may be feasible for physicians who screen military applicants to use routinely gathered physical health information as part of an improved system to detect psychological disorders.

A number of important methodological issues involving surveys have emerged in Navy research. One such issue is whether results from computer-administered sur- veys are equivalent to those obtained from paper-and-pencil surveys. After a review of relevant Navy studies, we concluded that computer and paper surveys generally yield equivalent results. The Navy's efforts and success at computerizing command- level equal opportunity surveys is described, and the advantages of this approach are discussed. The Navy's survey work on diversity issues (e.g., Hispanics, sexual harassment, and pregnancy) is described and the problems posed by attempting to use surveys to identify who is Hispanic and to determine accurate rates of sexual harassment and pregnancy are outlined. Future issues to be addressed by Navy survey research are discussed.

The quality of responses on computer and paper surveys was examined using 247 Navy recruits randomly assigned to a 2 (anonymous/identified) × 3 (administration modes: paper, computer-nonlinked, computer-linked) design. The computer-linked condition was included to simulate the ‘Big Brother Syndrome’ alluded to but not studied in past research. Higher levels of impression management were found in the identified computer-linked condition. It was concluded that perceiving that one's responses are linked to a larger database may lead to more impression management on computer surveys.

Although the effects of combat deployment on posttraumatic stress disorder have been extensively studied, little is known about the effects of combat deployment on depression and anxiety. This study examined the factors associated with anxiety and depression in a sample of 1560 US Marines who were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Eleven demographic and psychosocial factors were studied in relation to depression and anxiety. Five factors emerged as significant in relation to depression: deployment-related stressors, combat exposure, attitudes toward leadership, mild traumatic brain injury symptoms, and marital status. The same factors, with the exception of marital status, emerged as significant in relation to anxiety. Deployment-related stressors had a stronger association with both depression and anxiety than any other variable, including combat exposure. This finding is important because deployment-related stressors are potentially modifiable by the military. Language: en

Broad personality traits may be important predictors of health behavior patterns. Two studies are reported which examined the associations between five major personality dimensions and four major health behavior dimensions. Prior associations between health behaviors and neurotic and extraverted personality tendencies generally were replicated. However, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness, two domains of personality that have received little research attention, emerged as important personality predictors of health behaviors. The results indicate that personality is a reliable predictor of health behavior patterns. It is suggested that the importance of personality has been underestimated in past research by the failure to consider appropriate health behavior criteria and the omission of important personality dimensions, such as Conscientiousness and Agreeableness, when studying health behavior patterns.

Turnover rates and factors related to job turnover among Hispanic and non-Hispanic blue-collar employees in the U.S. Navy's civilian work force were investigated. When the subjects started their jobs they were administered a questionnaire assessing possible predictors of turnover, such as acculturation level, method of recruitment, importance of job-related factors, and geographic location considerations. The Hispanic subjects were classified into low-acculturation (LAH) and high-acculturation (HAH) groups. Each subject's employment status (e.g., left vs. remained in the job) was determined 1 year from the date of initial employment, and its relationship to the predictors was analyzed. The results indicated that acculturation was related to turnover. The turnover rate for LAHs was significantly higher than it was for HAHs or for non-Hispanic Whites. Turnover was also higher for Hispanics who found their jobs through friends or relatives than for Hispanics who found their jobs through formal channels.

The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with antisocial behavior in 1,543 Marines who deployed to combat zones in support of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan during 2002-2007. Five factors were associated with antisocial behavior in multivariate analyses: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, deployment-related stressors, combat exposure, younger age, and being divorced. PTSD symptoms had a stronger association with antisocial behavior than any other variable. A unique and important finding of this study was the association between deployment-related stressors and a higher incidence of antisocial behavior. Because deployment-related stressors are potentially modifiable, the military may be able to address them in concrete ways such as by shortening deployments and improving communication with home.

Lautenschlager and Flaherty (1990) unexpectedly found that more socially desirable responding occurred on a computer version of an attitude and personality questionnaire than on a paper-and-pencil version. The present study attempted to replicate and extend their findings in a noncollege environment. Male Navy recruits (N=246) completed several questionnaires in either a computer-administered or paper-and-pencil condition and in either an anymous or identified condition. Identified respondents had higher impression management and self-deceptive enhancement scores than anonymous respondents. Contrary to Lautenschlager and Fmaherty's results, however, there was no systematic difference between computer and paper-and-pencil modes. It is concluded that computer and paper-and-pencil modes of administration yield similar responses on attitude questionnaires

As part of a larger investigation of response effects on organizational surveys, the present study compared the responses of Hispanic and non-Hispanic U.S. Navy recruits on the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR). The inventory contains two measures of socially desirable responding: impression management, the deliberate tendency to over-report desirable behaviors and under-report undesirable ones, and self-deceptive enhancement, the tendency to give overly positive but honest self-reports. Hispanic recruits had significantly higher scores than non-Hispanic Whites on impression management; the two groups did not, however, differ on self-deceptive enhancement. These findings suggest that Hispanics may be more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to present a positive picture of themselves to others but do not differ from non-Hispanic Whites on the amount of positive self-deceptive enhancement they engage in. The results were interpreted with reference to the Hispanic cultural value of simp...

Studies of PTSD in military populations have repeatedly demonstrated a dose-response relationship between combat exposures and PTSD symptoms. While this relationship is compelling, the strong focus on objective events (combat exposures) has lead to a diminished emphasis on subjective reactions such as horror and helplessness. In this manuscript we (1) replicate the dose-response relationship in a sample of Navy personnel deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, and (2) demonstrate that subjective reactions to events account for more of the variance in PTSD than is explained by objectively reported combat exposures. We conclude that service members must be prepared not just for general aspects of combat stress, but also for feelings of intense fear, helplessness, or horror.

Only a small fraction of Navy members who experience sexual harassment use the Navy's formal grievance channels to report it. This study was conducted to identify factors associated with reporting of sexual harassment and with the filing of formal sexual harassment grievances. Telephone interviews were conducted with 228 Navy women (158 enlisted women and 70 women officers) who had been sexually harassed in the past year. The results showed that respondents were more likely to report sexual harassment if they regarded the harassment they experienced as serious, had expected positive consequences as a result of reporting, and had been encouraged to report it. Respondents were more likely to file a formal sexual harassment grievance if they regarded the sexual harassment they experienced as serious and if the harassment had involved stalking or invasion of residence. The most common reasons respondents gave for not reporting sexual harassment and for not filing grievances were that their other actions worked to stop the harassment and that they were afraid of the negative consequences.

The subjective quality of life (QOL) of a sample of enlisted Navy personnel (68 males and 64 females) was studied. Measures were administered assessing: global QOL, satisfaction with 13 life domains, satisfaction with the Navy, satisfaction with Navy job, personality dimensions, and demographic characteristics. Subjective global QOL for this Navy sample was high. Respondents were the most satisfied with Relations With Your Children, Marriage/Romantic Relationship, and Health. They were the least satisfied with Income/Standard of Living, Neighborhood, Community, and the Navy. The life domains that contributed the most to respondents' global subjective QOL were Income/Standard of Living, Marriage/Romantic Relationship, Job and Self. In general, the demographic variables were not related to subjective QOL. Each of the six personality variables studied was significantly associated with global QOL. The results of this investigation were compared with past civilian QOL research, and their implications for the Navy were discussed. Quality of life, Subjective well-being, Personality, Satisfaction with the Navy.

The nature of the relation between personality factors and coronary heart disease (CHD, the nation's greatest killer) is one of the most important if controversial issues in the field of psychology and health. Although there is still a great deal of conceptual confusion, progress is being made in refining the key components of a predisposition to heart disease. In this article we examine the construct of a coronary-prone personality in the context of the relations among personality, emotional expression, and disease. Special consideration is given to mode of measurement of the Type A behavior pattern--Structural Interview (SI) versus Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS)--and to components and non-Type A correlates of the general coronary-prone construct. Fifty middle-aged men who had had a myocardial infarction were compared with 50 healthy controls in terms of relevant aspects of their psychological functioning. Results indicate that the SI is better than the JAS as a predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD) because of its attention to emotional expressive style. Traditional emphases on hurry sickness in coronary proneness are deemed wholly inadequate. Furthermore, the results indicate that depression, anxiety, or both may relate to CHD independently of and in addition to Type A behavior. Other aspects of personality and social support are also discussed in the context of improving the construct of coronary proneness.

Background Research on Vietnam veterans suggests an association between psychological problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and misconduct; however, this has rarely been studied in veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The objective of this study was to investigate whether psychological problems were associated with three types of misconduct outcomes (demotions, drug-related discharges, and punitive discharges.) Methods A population-based study was conducted on all U.S. Marines who entered the military between October 1, 2001, and September 30, 2006, and deployed outside of the United States before the end of the study period, September 30, 2007. Demographic, psychiatric, deployment, and personnel information was collected from military records. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to investigate associations between the independent variables and the three types of misconduct in war-deployed (n = 77 998) and non-war-deployed (n = 13 944) Marines. Results Marines in both the war-deployed and non-war-deployed cohorts with a non-PTSD psychiatric diagnosis had an elevated risk for all three misconduct outcomes (hazard ratios ranged from 3.93 to 5.65). PTSD was a significant predictor of drug-related discharges in both the war-deployed and non-war-deployed cohorts. In the war-deployed cohort only, a specific diagnosis of PTSD was associated with an increased risk for both demotions (hazard ratio, 8.60; 95% confidence interval, 6.95 to 10.64) and punitive discharges (HR, 11.06; 95% CI, 8.06 to 15.16). Conclusions These results provide evidence of an association between PTSD and behavior problems in Marines deployed to war. Moreover, because misconduct can lead to disqualification for some Veterans Administration benefits, personnel with the most serious manifestations of PTSD may face additional barriers to care.