Psychological measures as predictors of pilot performance: a meta-analysis

The purposes of this study were to review the validity evidence for psychological measures used in pilot selection and to detect possible moderators for the relationship between predictors and pilot performance. A total of 66 independent samples from 50 studies were located and included in the meta-analysis. The best predictors of pilot performance were previous training experience (.30) and combined indexes, a combination of several cognitive and/or psychomotor tests (.37). The next best predictors were tests measuring cognitive (.24) and psychomotor/information-processing abilities (.24), as well as aviation information (.24) and biographical inventories (.23). The personality, intelligence, and academic tests yielded lowest mean validities (.14, .16, and .15, respectively). The analysis indicated that moderators might be operating for all test categories except academics, and the effect of several moderators were examined.