Self- and Team-Efficacy in Military Trainees: Development of Two Novel Military Trainee-Appropriate Assessments

AbstractMany currently published studies examining elements of self- and team-efficacy in military personnel have not utilized military-specific assessments, thereby limiting the generalizability of their findings to the broader military population. The present study evaluates the factor structure and performance correlates of the Trainee Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES) and the Team-Efficacy and Training Climate Inventory (TETCI) in two samples of military trainees. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted in sample 1 (N = 481). Confirmatory factor analysis, measure validity, and structure validation were conducted in sample 2 (N = 442). Factor analysis results revealed the TSES was best represented by a three-factor correlated traits model including constructs related to performance confidence, performance uncertainty, and performance optimism. The TETCI was best represented by a two-factor correlated traits model including constructs related to team member efficacy and leadership climate. TSES subscales exhibited small or moderate correlations with assessments of soldier performance (e.g., physical fitness, land navigation, and confidence in rifle marksmanship) in the expected directions. The TETCI subscales exhibited small positive correlations with an assessment of team performance. Findings indicate that the TSES and TETCI are parsimonious measures (10 and 7-items, respectively) that have the potential to be useful tools for the continued assessment of military trainees.Keywords: Performancetrainee self-efficacyfactor analysismilitary psychologyinitial entry trainingpsychometric sciencesmall unit climateteam-efficacy AcknowledgmentsWe thank the Soldiers and leaders who gave their time to contribute to the completion of this project. Additionally, we thank the Directorate of Training and Doctrine Program Evaluation Office for substantial contributions to the development of the scale items and subsequent data collections.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThe research described herein was performed by a team of Department of Army scientists and sponsored researchers. The work of the first author (BAM) was funded by the Consortium Research Fellows Program in support of the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI).