GROUP TESTING TECHNIQUE
introduction
1. As opposed to testing individuals in isolation group testing attempts to evaluate individuals in the context of a group. The role of group testing in the Service Selection Boards is to determine an individual’s ability to function in a group and based on this functional capacity, to ascertain his actual and potential level and to assess his suitability for the Armed Forces. Group testing as a technique of assessment differs from other psychological groups tests, like Intelligence Tests administered to a group while the former promotes interplay and interaction in a group in order to facilitate the assessment of the individual, the latter prohibits such interaction at the time of testing even though the tests are administered to a group. The group testing technique therefore assesses an individual in the context of an experimental group, which is subjected to a considerable physical and mental stress. From this, one seeks to observe and evaluate an individual’s group effectiveness or in other works the sum total of an individual’s contribution to the group and to the task.
Aim
2. The aim of this paper is to make a presentation on ‘GTO Technique’.
Scope
3. The scope of the paper is as under:
(a) Introduction to Group Testing.
(b) Principles of Group Testing.
(c) Group Situational Tasks.
(d) Briefing.
(e) Recording and Rank Rating.
(f) Rating Scale Ticking and Marking.
(g) Potentiality and Trainability.
(h) Report Writing.
(j) Group and its Implications.
(k) Stress and Stability.
(l) Sociometric Techniques
Introduction to Group Testing
4. As such, a clear understanding of a man’s behavior and personality can be achieved through the study of his social surroundings. This is because a man’s personality and character traits are largely determined by the social field in which he finds himself. Since the social field in which a man finds himself conditions his behavior and personality to a great extent his personality might be termed as a reaction to that field. The development and growth of personality is the result of its passing from simpler to larger and complex field, from family to school, neighborhood and ultimately into the greater community. Some of these fields will inhibit a man’s personality in some aspects; others will expand it, but all will modify and shape it.
Group Effectiveness:
5. From the foregoing one might say that since man’s personality and behaviors is affected and molded to a large extent by his environment, then, if one can choose and control these environments, one may hope to control and influence the personalities in them. In the Services Selection Boards, the word “Social Field” or “Environment” has been substituted by the work “Group”. It is in the context of the group subject to stresses of time and problem, that individuals are tested. It is considered that if one can control the stresses to which a small group is submitted, one can hope to provide its members both opportunities for leadership and conditions that limit these opportunities. From the ability of a person to take advantages of these opportunities and his adjustment to the limiting conditions, one can draw tentative estimate of the person’s ability. What one seeks to observe and evaluate is called an individual’s ‘group effectiveness’- the sum total of an individual’s contribution to the group and its tasks.
6. Group effectiveness can be differentiated into the following three components:
(a) Effective Level of Functioning: Ability to contribute towards the functional aspects of the common task by planning and organizing and executing. It consists of planning, implementation and practical contribution.
(b) Group Cohesiveness: Ability of the members of the group to relate emotionally to each other and to the task. This is the binding force which forms and maintains the group. Social qualities of the group influence the attainment of its aim and objectives.
(c) Stability: Ability to stand up to the resistance, frustration and stress without serious impairment of effective level of functioning and of group cohesiveness.
The Nature of Group Task
7. A procedure of testing, admittedly, must cater to the requirement of the job but, at the same time, it should be fair to the assessee in so far as it should provide him sufficient opportunity to show his best in the time available. For this purpose the group testing technique consists of subjecting group and its members to a number of different situations based on ‘free-for-all’ i.e. leaderless group tasks in which the individuals have freedom to choose their own behavior roles, lay down their own priorities for action and engage themselves in collective group-activity promotively or otherwise, influencing each and bringing about modifications in their own behavior and in the behavior of other individuals. The assessment of behavior is made on the overall integrated activity rather than on the basis of addition of scores of specified test situations. Hence, these are called tasks and not tests.
Nature of Group Tasks
8. These tasks are situational, stressful and completing and leaderless and require the individual to solve specific concrete problems by actual participation. These tasks are therefore, action-oriented and release considerable measure of dynamic forces from each participating member. In designing situational tasks attempts are made to reproduce the conditions and frustrations under which the individual will eventually perform. Since it is not possible to predict all the forms of numerous situations as individual will encounter in nature, the candidate is exposed to situations that he is usually likely to meet in his future service like.
The Concept of Group Development
9. As the performance of the individual in a group forms the basis on which assessment of his personality is made, it becomes necessary to inculcate the group feeling amongst the amorphous collection of individuals who join to form the group. The process of transformation from an unorganized body to a well-formed and fully developed group passes through certain definite, though overlapping stages of development. These stages area:
(a) Formation: This is a process of collecting individuals in an area or place to do something.
(b) Exploration: This takes place when each individual in the group tries to know the others in relation to him self.
(c) Competition: This arises when each members shows his need for recognition by the others in the group.
(d) Cooperation: Compromise, reconciliation and cooperation comes in when individuals realize the need for collective efforts in accomplishing a common task.
(e) Discipline: Finally, it is the sense of discipline when the individual interests are submerged for the larger good of the group.
Three Phase Group Testing:
10. The method followed in group testing technique is first to understand the group of individuals and their inter-relationships and second to observe each individual separately to check and recheck particular findings, confirm or rebut these and third to resolve doubts specially in borderline cases. For this purpose, the group-situational tasks are divided into three phases, namely, the Basic Series, the Confirmatory Series and the Final Series.
(a) Basic Series: The Basic Series enables the group testing officer to get a general view of the group effectiveness of the candidates in a leaderless group. In the tasks of Basic Series, therefore, a GTO’s observation is focused mainly on roles like communicating, planning, organsing, practical execution, persuading others to one’s own line of thinking, adaptability to people and situations, particularly difficult people and situation creating stress.
(b) Confirmatory Series: The Confirmatory Series shifts the GTO’s observation from the general view to a close up or pin-pointing of the behavior patterns. In his selective differentiation of the candidate’s behavior, GTO concentrates on less clear parts which, nevertheless, are of critical importance to the total picture he is trying to build. The tasks administered in this phase, therefore, are either on smaller groups or on individuals. The first task in the Confirmatory Series is the Half Group Task (HGT). In this the original group is divided into two halves and each sub-group is required to tackle one and the same obstacle one after the other. The division of the original group is preplanned by the GTO. The other three tasks in this Series, which can be administered in any order and even after longer breaks, are:
Lecturette, where each candidate gets the opportunity of giving a short talk on a subject to the rest of the group.
Individual Obstacles, where each candidate is required to tackle a set of ten obstacles of varying physical difficulties within the allotted time.
The Command Task, where each candidate is nominated as a commander for one task consisting of an obstacle and is provided helping material. He is given the option of choosing his own team from amongst the group for doing his task.
(c) The Final Series allows the GTO to put together different bits and pieces of information obtained from the two earlier testing series and weave it into an organized pattern, giving a global view of the personality of each individual. It also helps in removing any halo effect that might have been created in the individual tasks. The final series consists of one long task, called the Final Group Test (FGT), similar to the Fourth obstacle of PGT. Which exposes the candidates to a complicated and frustrating situation.
11. With the help of these tasks the GTO concentrates on the candidate’s ability to effectively organise men and material, take quick, decisions on various projects and show sensible use of his physical abilities. With the increased differentiation of the candidates abilities there is a continuous referral back from pin pointed ability to the general ability to understand the overall pattern of the candidate.
The Rationale of Three Phase Testing
12. The division of the group testing battery into three phases has its roots in the psychological concept of Gestalt. Gestalt is a German word meaning a pattern or a form. A pattern is not a summation of a number of parts constituting it but an integration of these components where each part is inter linked, intertwined and interdependent with the other parts and with the whole. What one perceives is a diversified whole and not an aggregate or summation of independent parts. In terms of Gestalt psychology, therefore, perceptive thinking is the progressive differentiation of a Gestalt or a pattern, into its component parts, not vice-versa. From this it would be evident that the process of perception passes through three stages, namely:
(a) Integration: Perceiving a thing or a phenomenon as a whole.
(b) Differentiation: Concentrating or focusing attention on parts in a continuous inter linked series of the whole.
(c) Reintegration: Relating parts to the whole and whole to the parts.
13. A similar process takes place in the three phase group testing. The tasks in phase I, the Basic, Series, involve all members of the group. It is the integration stage, where the GTO gets a general impression of each candidate’s group effectiveness. Phase II, the Confirmatory Series, is the differentiation stage. The tasks in this phase are administered to a smaller number of members in the groups or to individuals, either apart from the group or as in charge of the group. From Phase I to Phase II, the GTO’s attention swings from the total field to a close-up or pin-pointing of the query area. This implies a Selective differentiation, i.e. concentration on that part of differentiated field which is least clear and which seems of critical importance in clarifying the total picture. Thus the GTO explores the candidate’s abilities in greater depth and with more intensive observation. Phase III, the final series, is the re-integration stage, where the emphasis is towards a more relaxed way of observation of the complete group for general and total picture of each candidate’s behavior.
The Problems Studies by GTO
14. During the administration of the group testing battery, while observing the development of individuals in the social field of a group, the GTO studies the following two problems concerning the individual and seeks to find their answers:
(a) The Outer Problems: The problems of the given practical test situations, i.e. the outer problems. On the given problems the GTO seeks to find answers to such questions as, is he physically adequate for the job that will concern him as an officer? If not will he be adequate with training? Is he quick enough to react to a problem? Are his plans sound and workable? Is he balanced enough in his judgment? Is he effective in his communication skill? Is he resourceful in organizing and controlling things? Is he competent in dealing with practical situations? Does he improve, keep stationary or deteriorate as the test progress? What attitude does he reveal towards the general problems under discussion and execution and what inference can be drawn from his performance in the given situation about his behavior in similar life size situations?
(b) The inner problems: The hidden inner-social problems of the individual, i.e. the inner psycho-dynamic problems. Through this outer layer, the GTO penetrates into the inner layer to seek answers to these questions: From the way this individual is behaving with his fellows, what sort of social contacts have he? How does he reconcile his desire to do well for himself with his need to be a part of the team and how smoothly does he progress from competition to discipline? How are his group mates reacting towards him? How does he react to stressful situations and how stable is he under such situations?
The Need for Stress in Group Tasks
15. In looking into the psychodynamic aspects of an individual, a GTO, therefore evaluates both his social aspects and dynamic aspect. The social aspect is related to the individual’s social contact with others-the extent to which the individual is interested in, sensitive to and identifies with other people and problems. The dynamic aspect relates to the level of the stress resistance and the individual shows when faced with difficult and awkward situations, i.e. coolness in action or calmness in crisis. It is not only confined to the continuous capacity to resist the deteriorating effects of stress, but also to return to normal when these stresses have passed off.
The Value of Group Testing Battery
16. The group testing battery is a powerful instrument for sound appraisal of every individual tested. The utility and productivity of this battery will, however, depend on its effective application by the GTO with the requisite finesse both in the administration of the test battery as also in observation and interpretation of the pattern and effectiveness of a candidate’s behavior. The Five essential steps in the work of a GTO are:
(a) Briefing and conducting group-situational tasks.
(b) Observation and recording of behavior responses.
(c) Identification and interpretation of the mental traits which cause the candidate to behave or respond in that particular manner.
(d) Appraisal of the interplay of various traits to determine the individual’s personality pattern and evaluation of the utility of the same in the context of the service life.
(e) Estimation of improvement likely to be effected by subsequent training.
Principles of Group Testing
The group testing technique is based on sound psychological principles. Which give it the strength and stability to function as a valid instrument of assessment
The principles on which the group testing technique is based are:-
(a) Gestalt
(b) Social Field
(c) Consistency
Group Development
Free Association
Sociometry
Gestalt
19. Gestalt is a German word which means a configuration, an organised whole a pattern or form. It is not a summation i.e. a sum total of independent parts, but integration, where each part is interlinked with the other parts and with the whole.
20. As the basic concept of gestaltian approach is in the field of perception it is important to understand what the term perception implies. Perception is more than mere awareness of sense data present. It means thing or data present, superimposed by one’s past experience in similar direction which gives meaning to the thing. The process of perception, when analysed falls, therefore, into three parts or aspects.
(a) Presentative aspect: The actual sense data present.
(b) Representative aspect: Revival of similar past experience.
(c) Relational aspect: Seeing the relation between the two and giving an interpretation.
21. Thus every object or situation is perceived in relation to the whole experience, present and the past. Allport in his laws of perception clarifies as follows; thinking is a progressive differentiation of of gestalt or pattern or form. One perceives a new thing or an idea as a whole, and proceeds to differentiate it into its component parts, organised and interlocked in a field of forces; relating one part to the other parts’ and the other parts to the continuous whole, and the whole to the parts, in a dynamic orderly interaction where some parts appear as figure and the remainder as ground in an alternate sequence”.
22. Figure and Ground: The gestalt way of perceiving, i.e. observing and understanding, present the phenomenon of figure and ground. Figure is the object of concentration at a given time, and the ground is the environment in relation to which the figure is perceived. When the attention of the observer is lifted from one object or part to the other objects or parts, the new objects or part becomes the figure, while the old objects or parts become the ground. This gives one the continuity and interrelation. In the case of personality examination the particular trait under the focus of attention is the figure, and the other traits in relation to which it is perceived become the ground.
23. Stages of Gestalt: From the description of gestalt as enunciated by Allport, it follows that the process of perception passes through continuous and organized field of dynamic forces in three stages:-
(a) Integration: Perceiving a thing or a phenomenon as a whole.
(b) Differentiation: Concentrating or focusing one’s attention on parts, lifting attention to other parts, and studying each parts in a continuous inter linked series of the whole.
(c) Reintegration: Relating the part (s) to the whole and whole to the part(s)
24. Application to Group Testing: In the group testing technique the principle of gestalt it operative in several ways as under:-
(a) Of the three phase group testing technique, phase one the Basic Series is the ‘integration’ phase where the GTO gets a general impression of candidate’s group effectiveness and phase two the ‘Confirmatory Series’ is the ‘differentiation’ phase, intensive observations and by focusing his attention on smaller number of candidates or an individuals. In phase three, the Final Series, the concentration and sharpness of phase two is directed towards the whole group for a general and total picture of candidate’s behavior. This is ‘reintegration’.
(b) A candidate is observed not in isolation but as a part of the group interacting with other candidates in a dynamic manner.
(c) In the group, those candidates who work in the main portion of the group activity, come under the direct observation, while the others remain in the back ground i.e. “ground”. When the GTO lifts his attention from one set of candidates to the others, the others become the ‘figure’. His perception of the candidates swings in the form of figure and ground, from one or the candidates to the remaining candidate in the group.
Social Field Theory
25. The term field connotes a field of related energies. Basic concept of the theory is that the human individual is an organism functioning in a social field. His social functions are best observed in that field, that is, the group in which the individual interacts continuously with other members, influencing them, and being influenced by them.
26. In accordance with this concept, the social filed in which a man finds himself not only determines the man, his personality but also his total behavior, which includes his thoughts and feeling. From a certain total environment, comprising a situation and an individual, there results a certain behavior. Behavior, therefore, is the function of a person interacting to environment.
27. Application: The concept of social filed is applicable in its entirety to the group testing technique, particularly in all leaderless group tasks. The GTO observes the candidates in miniature groups, or in a micro community of 3 to 5 members in a half group task and about 6 to 10 members in a full leaderless group task . He is mostly concerned with their social behavior in group dealing with people and problems. He wants to find out how each individual influences others and gets influenced by others in a corporate group life. In observing the human relations, the GTO bears the four behavioral considerations in mind to arrive at his judgment :-
(a) That the behavior is to be observed in totality of coexisting facts.
(b) That there is an existence of a dynamic filed of forces in each individual and this has its influence on others in a variety of ways to strengthen the collective activity or to weaken it.
(c) That effective behavior of the individual can only be observed when he is a part of the situation along with other individuals. At situations changes, there is some change in the behavioral pattern but such changes or modifications of behavior should remain within certain range. Too much change in the individual’s behavior pattern from one controlled situation to other controlled situations becomes a matter of concern for the GTO.
(d) That the achievement of the group is closely related to the effectiveness of each individual in the group. The relationship between each individual and other members of the group is based on a close and intimate understanding of each other.
Consistency
28. An individual’s behavior is the product of the situation and that, behavior results when his personality reacts to the environment. Therefore, whenever there is a change in the situation certain modifications in the behavior pattern of the individuals are inevitable, resulting in some variation in his performance level. Sometimes the individual shows more effectiveness and at other times less effectiveness. This would imply that smaller the range of variability of his typical performance level, the more consistent the individual will be.
29. Consistency of an individual depends on a variety of factors like maturity level of aspiration, depth and quality of thinking, social relations, attitude towards people, work and responsibility and the type of experiences that he has had in life. The more stable an individual the more consistent he will be.
30. Application of Consistency in the Group Testing Technique: In exposing an individual to social situations and observing his interactions through his behavior, the GTO not only hopes to reveal his personality characteristics, but also to find out his effectiveness in dealing with different kinds of situations and the extent of consistency in his performance level. For this reason, there is a variety of tasks in the group testing situations. On the basis of his performance the individual is ‘rank rated’ at the end of each task and also after each phase of testing ABI or GABI rank-rating indicates to the GTO the performance level of the candidate and extent upto which he has been consistent over the entire set of situations administered to him.
Group Development
31. Man being gregarious by nature , his natural milieu is the group. He is born into a group i.e., society. All his activities are group activities and his entire behaviour, natural spontaneous or even put up, is group behaviour. It follows, therefore, that if individuals are put together in a strange environment and allowed to remain there for a period of time to deal with their problems, they will gradually form themselves into a group or a society of their own.
32. Sequence of Task: For an expeditious and smooth development of the temporary group created by the GTO through the five stages, the sequence of the tasks must be preserved and followed without long gaps between the task . A change in the sequence of the Basic Series Tasks or large gaps will hamper the development of the group. By the end of the cooperation stage, the structure of group should be sufficiently stable to bring in the stage of discipline and thus solidify the group structure. The GTO, like a group therapist, should act as a catalytic agent and constantly take timely action conducive to the development of the group.
Free Association
33. It is Freudian method which requires the patient to say everything that comes to his mind in a spontaneous manner. It allows the patient to speak without restraint and without any attempt on the part of the therapist to produce a logical and organised discourse. The role of therapist is to a great extent a passive one. As a confidant of the patient, he sits and listens, prods by asking questions when the verbal flow of the patient dries up, but he does not interrupt him when he is talking in order to reduce the influence of external distraction to the minimum, the patient is generally made to recline of a couch in quite room.
34. Application to Group Testing: Although a therapeutic technique, free association has been used to a great advantage in group testing. To generate natural and spontaneous behavior, the GTO, through his briefing and warm social contact allays undue test anxieties of the candidate and wins their confidence. He stimulates them into activity. The group is subjected to a number of different situations based on ‘free for all’. Each one is free to participate as much as he wants and in the manner he wants. The GTO takes on a passive role as an observer with his minimum but necessary and purposive interruptions into the group’s activities.
Group Situational Tasks
35. The group situational tasks aim at affording each candidate every opportunity to reveal himself fully both individually and in relationships with others. A prerequisite for the same is to create conditions suitable to obtain spontaneous and true test responses so that the relevant interactions reveal each candidate’s basic characteristic behavior. Once such basic pattern emerges, it is possible to evaluate the personality with respect to its suitability as an officer in the Armed Forces.
36. The candidates forming a group make their first contact with the GTO, a total stranger to them, with a good deal of apprehension. The unfamiliar surroundings and the unknown future make each candidate wary, and guarded. Therefore, for generation spontaneous behavior, the GTO has to establish a good ‘Rapport’ with his group, and allay their undue test anxiety. To do this the GTO meets his group informally and talks to the candidates for about 15 to 20 minutes before assigning them the first task. This informal talk, conducted slightly away from the place of the first task, is called pre-briefing.
Basic Series Tasks
Group Discussion (GD)
37. Group Discussion (GD) is the first task in the basic series, In this task, the candidates are given the opportunity to informally exchange their views on subjects of topical interest and of controversial nature. The keynote in the mutual communication is informality and no conclusions are required to be arrived at. The aim of this discussion is to help the candidates to know each other. Thus, it provides them the opportunity explore each other and to make impressions on one another.
38. Subjects for Group Discussion:The subjects given to the group should be suitable for the group being tested and interesting enough for their involvements. It is always better to discuss new and fresh subjects than those, which may have been discussed many times previously. The two subjects, presented initially to the group, should be of an average level. The level of subject for the subsequent discussion may be lowered or raised depending upon the performance of the group.
39. Duration: Once a subject is taken up, the discussion develops gradually. The sequence, generally followed is defining the subject, analyzing the subject and exchanging information and views. A period of 20 minutes is enough for an average group to discuss a subject. However, one cannot be rigid about this timing. The subject may be changed to maintain the tempo of discussion, to revive group interest when the subject under discussion shows signs of petering out or with a view to provide opportunity to the silent members to participate. When the second subject is introduced, the group may be allowed to discuss the same for 15 to 20 minutes. Discussion of two subjects is adequate to obtain all the data one is looking for in this task.
40. Value: Some of the points the GTO will observe about each individual in the discussion are:
(a) Logical in reasoning or generalise.
Ideas are trite and copied or sound.
Practical and realistic or retaining childish illusions.
Optimistic or uncritical.
Receptive or non receptive or non acceptive.
Repetitive or new line of thaught.
Content of views.
Manner of ad vocation.
Extent of impression
41. The group discussion enables the GTO to observe:-
(a) The content of each candidate’s views.
(b) The manner in which the views are advocated.
(c) The extent to which he impresses others.
(d) Other’s reaction to him.
42. The manner of a candidate’s contribution to the discussion is more important than its content. In so far as the content of candidate’s contribution is concerned, it may not be fair to judge him on so short a sample, which may not embrace his special interest. The manner of his contribution projects his interpersonal attitudes and group cohesiveness, including his special roles, namely:-
(a) Empathy i.e. ability to sense other people’s emotional attitude.
(b) The ability to encourage.
(c) To be firm.
(d) To be tactful.
(e) To bring others in picture and help them to become identified with the problem of subject.
Group Planning Exercise
43. Group Planning Exercise (GPE) consists of a situational problem given to candidates on a model. The problem affords a selection of possible solution and different ways of approach. This task is carried out in two phases:-
(a) The individual planning phases, when each candidate is required to write down his own solution to the problem.
(b) The group planning phase when the candidates are made to mutually discuss the problem and to work out corporate solution and plan of action.
44. In asking for a group solution, emphasis is laid for the first time on team endeavourer. Yet the need for a common solution introduces a sense of competition, as each candidate tries to secure the acceptance of his own plans. The discussion in the Group Planning Exercise is, therefore, a ‘purposeful’ discussion. Its purpose is:-
To create inter-dependent interaction promotively in a social situation.
(b) To make one competitively inter-related with others with a view to achieve recognition of one’s ideas and plans in the group and to have the same accepted. The idea is to find the solution that is the best for every one in the group to which all of most are committed.
45. Each candidate naturally tries to make others accept his solution as the common group plan. The resultant interplay of conflicting wishes and ideas enables the GTO to observe how the individual strives to impress himself on others and whether or not he shows signs of beginning to adapt himself to being a member of the group. The candidates are allowed a free hand in shaping their discussion; GTO’s interruptions, if any, are with a view to keep control over the group and to promote the development of the group plan.
46. Value: In this task the GTO observes the following in the candidate:-
(a) Ability to think constructively, imaginatively and to appreciate a situation both in detail and as a whole.
(b) He looks for the extent of objectivity in each candidate, his open- mindedness to the problem. His good will toward others, and his contribution towards a collective solution.
47. One may have excellent plans but may fail to convince the group; another person may carry the group with an inferior plan; still another may size the plans of others and attempt to get the credit for himself. A better leader will objectively evaluate his own ideas and those of others, select and coordinate best of those and give credit to each for his contribution. Thereby he will demonstrate both his planning and organizing ability i.e. his functional ability and group cohesiveness. By comparing the written plan of a candidate with his contribution during the discussion stage of the group plan, the GTO will be able to know how well the candidate planned, and to what extent he was able to make use of it in the discussion.
Progressive Group Task
48. The progressive Group Task (PGT) is the first outdoor task in the Basic Series. It consists of a set of four obstacles of progressively increasing difficulty, the last obstacle requiring the functional ability of a fairly high order and presenting a fair amount of difficulty and some degree of frustration. A leaderless group is required to cross these obstacles within a stipulated time of 40 minutes, carrying along with them a heavy, unwieldy or a delicate object called, the load. Certain helping materials like planks, ballies and ropes, are provided to the group for improvisation of a solution.
49. Rules: Certain areas are marked ‘out of bounds’ to men or material or to both. The group is required to observe the following rules while working:-
The group Rule: All the members of the group, material their helping materials and the load must cross the previous obstacle before approaching the next.
(a) The Color Rule: Any structure in the obstacle painted red, is to be considered as out of bounds to men, material and the load. Any structure in the obstacle painted blue/yellow is to be considered as out of bounds to material and the load . Any structure painted white, to be considered as in bounds to men material and load. Any infringement of this role will necessitate reversal to the state prior to such infringement.
(b) The Distance Rule: Any distance of four feet of more, vertically, horizontally and diagonally should be bridged across and not jumped across. In this case also. Infringement of the rule will require reversal to the pre-infringement state.
(c) Rule of Rigidity: Any two rigid helping materials cannot be tied together, thereby the distance for bridging.
(d) Rule of Infinity: The start line and finish line as marked on the ground have to be imagined as extending to left and right till infinity, thereby meaning that they are parallel and do not meet each other.
50. Values
Struggle for leadership takes new turn as verbal skills not at premium.
Problem can be tackled only once gp as a whole has accepted the plan.
Execution requires combined efforts through competition exists.
No role for theoretical planners and organizers as actual execution is required.
Problem and time stress generates spontaneity of behavior.
Competition to co-operation.
Level of functioning of each candidate is seen indicating consistency (Ascending /Descending).
Collective effort – demonstrate gp cohesiveness.
(j) Standing up to set-backs – demonstrate Stability.
51. Significance of the load: A heavy, unwieldy or delicate object, provided to the group as a load to be taken across, adds to the difficult level of each obstacle, acts as a binding forced in the group, being the common liability of al and helps in giving some satisfaction to the odd candidate for being able to do something useful for the group.
52. Once the group is launched on to the PGT, the GTO leaves the candidates free to choose their own behavior roles, lay down their own priority for action and engage themselves in collective group activity. The group is allowed to endure its own stresses. The GTO makes himself unobtrusive and inconspicuous but in a manner that his presence is still felt by the group. Therefore, while the principal of neutrality remains, the GTO does not merely stay as a passive spectator. Instead, he keeps a control over the pulse of the group activity by his careful and tactful handling and his own quick reaction to the changing situations. This purposeful occasional interference enables the GTO to regulate the stresses on the group, prevent any mishaps and ensure continuity of productive data.
53. Principles of designing PGT: The following are the principles for the designing of PGT:-
It should require no specialized knowledge of skill in tackling it.
Each successive obstacle should be progressively more difficult.
Each obstacle should have a minimum of three workable solutions.
The first obstacle should have a ‘wide entry’ the second a ‘narrow entry’ and the third the ‘narrowest entry’ and the last a ‘wide entry’ again.
54. Entry: By’ entry to an obstacle is meant the area around which the individuals in a group can function. This is dependent of the nature and design of the obstacle. A ‘wide entry’ will allow room for every candidate in the group to participate and be seen in action within the orbit of activity all the time. It is a safeguard for the shy and the timid and gives them a certain amount of inner satisfaction of having played some part, however small, in the group effort. It also facilitates functioning by responsibility acceptors, who may be quite adequate; capable and ready to accept responsibility but will not seek it or ‘thrust’ for it. A narrow entry has a screening effect between the ‘heads’ and the ‘tails’ between the mere dominant of effective candidates who initiate action and those who follow. It does not, however, profess to give any rank rating of an individual’s effectiveness in the group.
55. Frontage: This implies physical working space confronting the task. A wide working space would provide opportunity to most of the candidates in tackling the task, while a narrow space will prevent individuals with poor initiative and drive from coming forward and partaking in the activity, thus creating a distinction between the level of the individuals in a group.
56. A PGT starts off with an easy wide entry obstacle whose object is to shake down’ the candidates into a unified working group. It therefore, aims at promoting the formation of the group and providing inner satisfaction to all it constituents for having made some contribution to the group effort. The group should be able to Cross this obstacle in 3 to 5 minutes. The narrow entry in the second obstacle restricts effective action by four to five members, thus, facilitating the screening of the group of the group in to heads and tails i.e., whose who initiate solution or action and those who merely follow. Normally 6 to 8 minutes should be sufficient for the group to negotiate this obstacle. The third obstacle with ‘narrowest entry’ permitting effective action by only two or three members and of such complexity as might result in some impasse, facilitates detailed sifting of ‘heads’. This obstacle should normally required 12 to 15 minutes to tackle. The fourth obstacle is again a ‘wide entry’ obstacle in respect of the frontage and working area, but of a high degree of complexity and with some degree of frustration before its solution is found. It provides adequate area along which the group can deploy itself permitting immediate active participation of every member, enriched by their experience of having tackled the earlier three obstacles, the group should be able to cross this obstacle in about 15 to 20 minutes. This process of screening and it’s culmination in the entire group taking part in an obstacle with a wide entry will allow the GTO to formulate and revise in his mind a clearer picture of each candidate’s specific level.
57. Rationale of PGT design: The object of progressivity or gradual increase in the complexity of the obstacles is to ensure the projection of different levels of efficiency in a group, specially in terms of fundamental ability of individuals. Such progressively is designed as an effort to distinguish and classify the degree of functional ability of the various members in a group, when functioning in a leaderless group.
Group Obstacle Race
58. The group obstacle race (GOR) is the last task in the Basic Series. It consists of a parallel set of six obstacles which does not require much of mental ingenuity for crossing. However, from the point of view of physical difficulty and the time required to negotiate, these are arranged in a progressive order. In this task each group is required to race against the other within sight of each other over the parallel sets of obstacles. Each group must remain as a complete unit through out. Each group is provided with a long and cumbersome load, generally in the shape of a rolled up tent, which they have to take with them over the obstacles. In this task the prestige of each individual is put at stake, as the success of the group depends on each individual subordinating his interest for the common cause of the group. The binding force, is therefore, discipline thus culminating the development of the group GOR rounds up the Basic Series with the ultimate aim of social and emotional integration of the group.
Basic Series – Conclusion
59. As already stated, the aim of Basic Series is to promote conditions suitable for development of a group and to get a balanced sample of each candidate’s group effectiveness. Though Basic Series permits the GTO to form a good mental picture of a candidate, it also raises questions that require answering. These unresolved queries differ from individual to individual. Further testing, is therefore, necessary. These tests form the Confirmatory Series.
Confirmatory Series
60. The tasks in this series are meant for confirming observations of the Basic Series. New evidence should reinforce the old and give answers to questions which the GTO will have about the candidates. The tasks in the Confirmatory Series allow further observations of candidates who had not had adequate opportunity to show their abilities. The GTO is able to take a closer look at candidates through smaller group or individual tasks. It enables the GTO to concentrate on individual abilities outside the group and gives scope ascertaining qualities which are of doubtful nature. It is important to get down as early as possible to the critical query area in each candidate's personality. To get a clear answer one must put a clear question. A GTO’s approach throughout the Confirmatory Series, is, therefore, purposive for he knows what he is trying to confirm; what are his queries which he wants to resolve and in respect of which candidate. The tasks in the Series are: Half Group Task, Lecturette, Individual Obstacles and Command Task. Of these, the first task, i.e. half group task (HGT) should be done after the GOR Remaining tasks can be done in any order and even after longer intervals, if necessary.
Half Group Task
61. The Half Group Task (HGT) consists of one obstacle capable of completion by three to five candidates in about 15 minutes. Like an obstacle of PGT the candidates are required to take across a load with them and are provided with suitable helping materials to negotiate the obstacle. The rules of the (PGT) less the group rule apply equally in this task.
62. Division of the Group: The Division of the group into sub-groups depends upon what the GTO is desirous of eliminating. At the end of Basic Series the GTO may feel that in order to concentrate his observations more sharply on the doubtful, he would like to segregate them from certain candidates within the group. The undoubted excellence of one or two intelligent, assertive candidates or the influence of a disruptive aggressive ‘thruster’ may have resulted in the less, intelligent or less assertive members not being able to put up their best performance. Also it may be that a small clique is formed in the group due to a few candidates adherence to each other, who refuse to identify fully with the larger whole. These constraints are sought to be removed by the GTO, through his purposive splitting of the group.
63. Value: In the HGT not only is the GTO able to take a closer look at a smaller group but also his observations are channelised to specific areas desired by him and he is able to scrutinise behavior in greater details. By separating competing individuals he compels others to take action. It is specially useful in case of candidates who are border liners, immature, unusually inhibited or passive, as the GTO puts them in a position where they are compelled to reveal such capacities as they have.
Lecturette
64. In this task each candidate is required by turn to give a short talk to the other members of the group on a subject selected by him from a lecturette card given to him by the GTO. The GTO has a number of lecturette cards, one for each candidate, with four subjects on each card. Of the four subjects on each card, two are of average level and one each of above average and below average level. No subject is repeated on another lecturette card. Each candidate is allowed about three minutes to prepare and another three minutes to deliver his talk.
65. Values:
Manner in which the candidate speaks.
Self-confidence.
Ability to put across the subject matter.
Flow of ideas.
Interest generated in the listeners.
Candidate’s performance in delegated authority.
Individual Obstacles
66. Each candidate in this task is required by turn to complete a course of ten obstacles in three minutes. The obstacles differ in nature and physical difficulty requiring physical acts like leaping, rope climbing, long jumps, vaulting, balancing etc. Each obstacle is given a score from one to ten points prominently on a board beside it. The more difficult the obstacle the greater the number of points allotted to it. These obstacles are not arranged in their numerical order but are mixed and the candidates are allowed to start from wherever they want and to tackle them in any order they like. The time allowed is adequate for a candidate of average physical fitness to complete all the obstacles. A candidates after completing all the obstacles, is allowed to repeat the obstacles and depending upon the score of the obstacles repeated, he earns extra points, the aim being to score maximum points in the time allotted.
67. Values
Ability to plan the use of his body and muscular skills.
Physical fitness, physical endurance, stamina and application of work.
Utilisation of the limited time.
Pts secured – broad guide to his physical fitness.
Manner is more significant.
Command Task
68. In the command task (CT) each candidate is nominated as a commander for one practical task. Like HGT, the task consists of one obstacle capable of completion by three to four candidates in about 15 minutes and involves moving of a load across the obstacle using men and material. All rules of the PGT less group rule are applicable here as well. Each commander is allowed the choice of his own team from amongst the other members of the group. The GTO specifies the minimum and the maximum of the team’s strength so that each commander is made to leave out some members from his task. The commander is given a free hand to discharge his assignment without any promoting and contributions to the plan by others. The subordinates are also enjoined to merely do the commanders bidding and to speak only if asked by the commander. This also discourages the brighter candidates from doing the commander’s task for him.
69. Pre-selection of CT :There is a large variety of tasks available at the selection board, differing in their nature and difficulty. The GTO therefore, pre-selects a CT for each of the candidates depending upon the type of the candidate and the evidence he is looking for. The easy and the simple tasks should be given to those who will clearly not make the grade so as not to discourage them or disturb the balance of the group. The clear adequates may be given a difficult task, commensurate with their ability so as to fully exercise them and not to discourage others.
70. The candidates of borderline level may be given task of different complexities depending upon the type of doubts the GTO wants to resolve or the type of evidence he is seeking. The shy, timid or submissive may be given a task demanding sufficient firmness to give crisp, clear, and quick directions. The impetuous, somewhat irresponsible candidate may be given a task requiring exercise of care, precision, deliberation and persistence in face of frustration. The lethargic candidates, whose ‘drive’ is queried may be given tasks requiring hard work, dash and expedition. Occasionally, one may give a task with a good deal of frustration when one wishes to be more definite about a candidate’s reaction to such a situation like in the suspect bully who may drive and blame others when under stress. The GTO must not try to break the vain, hollow or show-off candidates by allotting difficult situations to them. His approach must always be objective with a view to obtain corroborative data or resolve doubts.
71. Values
Urge for leadership but not the capacity, and vice-versa.
Aims at eliciting leadership capacity not revealed in leaderless gp.
Lesser leaders get a chance.
Strong candidates do not allow docile ones to perform.
Those who do not seek but can function at sufficiently high level when compelled, get a chance.
Planning & organizing.
Patience & persistence.
Confirmatory Series-Conclusion
72. By concentrating on the individual’s abilities outside the group, the confirmatory Series would have provided the GTO opportunities to confirm his findings and to resolve the queries raised by him at the end of the Basic Series. The GTO would have come to fairly firm conclusions about the candidates in his group. There is now the need to return to the whole group to obtain a balanced view of the candidate’s performance and to provide opportunities to function once again as a complete group in the light of the experiences each one has gained during the preceding tasks.
Final Series
Final Group Task
73. Final Group Task (FGT) is the only task in the last phase and consists of one obstacle on a similar basis as the fourth obstacle in PGT. It is a difficult and frustrating obstacle of wide entry with a large total area providing adequate scope for all members to function and requires functional ability of a higher order to find a solution. About 15 to 20 minutes are given for the task.
Final Series-Conclusion
74. In phase three, the GTO sums up impressions of both the previous phases to gain an overall picture. Here the return to group is really the ‘referring back’ to overall pattern. What looked large in the close up of phase two assumes its rightful size and significance in phase three. From the attachment or ‘intimacy’ of a close contact as in the individual tasks, the GTO returns in phase three to the distant view and its greater detachment, thus putting the overall pattern in its correct perspective.
Briefing
75. Briefing means explaining to the candidates lucidly, completely and briefly the task and the conditions under which it is to be carried out. Briefing does not merely consist of spoken words but includes other factors like tone of voice, mannerism and actions. Both, the substance of briefing and the method of briefing, condition the performance of the candidates in a group.
76. The aim of briefing therefore is:
(a) To allay undue test anxiety, inhibitions and suspicions, by making the problem clear.
(b) To create self-confidence in the candidates and, in return to win their confidence.
(c) To provide stimulus for tackling test situations by creating enthusiasm.
Important Considerations
77. Briefing if varied from group to group, will result in different types of behavior from the group as a whole and individual in particular. In order that the performances of different groups become comparable, it is necessary that briefing should be standardised. While it is possible to standardise the content of each briefing, it is difficult to lay norms for the tone of voice, mannerism and actions. It is, therefore, best to indicate what to avoid and what considerations should be kept in view so that a great measure of uniformity can be achieved. A few points to remember are:
(a) Briefing should be carried out in an informal manner slightly away, from the task so as to be free from distractions.
(b) GTO should display a natural, active, and sympathetic attitude to the group members so that he is regarded as a friend and a guide. His behavior and words should indicate a positive attitude encouraging spontaneity of action.
(c) Briefing should be done in a natural and unaffected manner. The tone of voice should not indicate lethargy, indifference or urgency. Speaking in a slow lethargic manner will not create urge or enthusiasm in the candidates to tackle the task. Indifference will make the candidates feel that the GTO himself is not interested in the work. The stress of urgency should be indicated -only by the time limit for that task because if the stimulus is varied by the tone of voice, the reaction of the group is liable to vary accordingly. The same applies to mannerism and actions. Likewise, commands and the tone of command are out of place. It is the candidate's leadership that is being tested; the leadership of GTO is taken for granted. The attitude of the GTO when briefing should, therefore, be such that no undue stress or urgency, or lack of it, is indicated to the group.
(d) The GTO should himself be free from anxiety. If he feels anxious, he would either be over elaborate or be too brief in the former case the task will look more difficult than it is, while in the latter case, the candidates may not be quite clear about the task.
(e) GTO should avoid ‘Fantasy’ brief. Candidates should not be asked to imagine situations which do not exist, e.g. contaminated areas, bottomless chasms, concealed traps etc. This not only imposes strain on the memory and imagination of candidates but also lends itself to a variety of interpretations and, therefore, does not provide standardised test conditions. It is best merely to indicate that a group is to cross a certain obstacle; that an object is to be moved from one place to another; that certain areas or things are not to be touched.
(f) As far as possible, negative point in briefing should be avoided. For example, instead of stating that the first obstacle in PGT is a simple one and the subsequent one progressively more difficult, it may be better to say that the subsequent obstacles are progressively not so easy.
(g) In order to ensure that without cramping their individual styles, the GTOs do justice to the briefing, it is desirable that briefing points should be standardised not only for the comprehensive coverage but also for logical sequence for easy assimilation by the candidates.
(h) At the end of the briefing, questions should be invited; patient hearing should be given and such questions should be answered in a pleasant manner irrespective of the nature of the question.
79. Good briefing will launch the group into action with confidence and enthusiasm. There will not be any necessity for the GTO to interfere with the working of the group unless he wants to do so purposely as the members will be quite clear about the task and the conditions under which it is to be performed.
Recording and Rank Rating
80. In the group testing technique, a group of candidates is put through a series of situational tasks of varying condition and stresses so that their reactions and interactions, to be observed through their behavior. The characteristic behavior pattern of these candidates enables the GTO to interpret and identify the personality traits.
Recording
81. For correct personality appraisal, precision, and accuracy of observation along with comprehensiveness is needed.
82. Reasons for Recording: The reasons for recording are:-
(a) The fallibility of human memory.
(b) The temptation to form early impressions.
(c) Need for faithfully recording emerging behavior patterns.
(d) Need for aid memoir.
83. What to Record: Relevant data such as actions, deeds, mannerisms, gesture's which enable the GTO to interpret and deduce personality should be recorded. What the GTO records are his observations and then interprets them to reach certain deductions.
84. How to Record: While recording, it must not be obvious that the GTO is doing anything but an occasional doodle on his worksheet.
85. It is quit possible, and is often experienced, that during a task, a candidate’s extent and level of performance changes. As a result, at the end of the task it will be possible to get a clear picture of the consistency or otherwise of the level of participation of each candidate.
Ranking and Rating
86. The practical purpose of Group Tasks is to evaluate the level of each candidate’s group effectiveness. This level may be:
(a) Relative level, i.e. in relation to the other members in the group.
(b) Absolute level i.e., in relation to the standard required in the Armed Forces.
87. The relative level of a candidate is reflected in the ranking of his group while his absolute level is indicated by rating him.
88. Ranking: To rank a group is to arrange its members in the order of their group effectiveness. For example, the ranking 28731546 will indicate that 2 was the most effective, 8 the next 6 the least effective member of this group. This ranking, however, does not indicate their absolute level. The performance of 2, even though the best in the group, may still be substandard; or, again, the contribution of 6 may be good enough to come up to an acceptable level or even beyond. Therefore, there is a need to relate a candidate’s group effectiveness with a predetermined fixed or an absolute level by rating him.
89. Rating: To rate a candidate is to express his group effective in terms of an absolute or fixed standard. It is expressed in terms of four point rating of good, adequate, borderline or inadequate (GABI). By observing performance of a group and its members on a task, it is possible to rank and rate them through rank rating. After ranking the candidates, they are divided into four categories by inserting two dots and a stroke (../) between the figures. The following examples are illustrative of this system.
(a) .2873/1543 indicates that 2, 8,7 and 3 were borderline in that order and the rest inadequate. No performance was good or even adequate, the best merely a borderline. The group was very mediocre.
(b) 287.31/546 indicates that 2, 8, and 7 were adequate, 3 and 1 borderline and the rest inadequate. The group was, therefore, a reasonably good one.
(c) 28.73.15/46 would indicate an excellent group.
90. Rank-rating in terms of three point rating, i.e. adequate, borderline and inadequate (ABI) is enough for the Basic Series as further detailed sifting on the higher side of adequate is generally difficult at this stage. It is only during the confirmatory series that GTO is able to separate good from the adequate and use GABI rank- rating.
91. Rank-rating should be done after each group task and at the end of each phase of test battery i.e. Basic, Confirmatory and Final. Rank-rating of group members on their performance on individual task like individual obstacles, lecturettes or even combined rank rating of half group task is not warranted. The test situations are not identical nor is the common operation of group dynamics. The overall rank-rating done at the end of Confirmatory Series, really reflects the rank-rating of the Basic plus Confirmatory Series and that at the end of the entire test battery reflects the rank-rating of Basic plus Confirmatory plus the Final Series.
92. Values: The rank rating will simultaneously indicate:
(a) The relative level of each candidate.
(b) The absolute level of each candidate.
(c) The-quality or collective level of the group in whose context a candidate has been tested.
(d) The borderline or query candidates who require more detailed specific probing.
(e) Compare a candidate’s performance between different tasks or fields of activity.
(f) Compare a candidate’s performance between different phases of tasks.
(g) Provides a communicable and recordable formula to observer.
(h) Helps the GTO to dissociate the collective level of the group from individual levels of its members so that the fallacy in a carry over of ‘halo; or ‘horn’ from the group to its members is avoided in arriving at the correct judgment about each candidate.
Rating Scale Ticking and Marking
93. Rating means indicating the range of suitability of a person for the job. The basis of a rating scale is job-performance. A detailed job analysis, indicate the job requirements and a list of essential qualities and traits is made. A scale is then designed to indicate the range of accessibility. The combination of quality wise list and the scale of measurement is termed, the rating Scale.
94. The ten-point rating scale has been adopted at the Service Selection Boards since it facilitates wider dispersion and finer discrimination near the end zone of the scale. It also prevents concentration at mid-point being an even number rating scale.
Uses of Rating Scale
95. The uses of rating scale are:
(a) Rating scale serves as a guide to the assessor, by identifying specific areas of assessment and helps him to arrive at more objective evaluation.
(b) It helps training academies to locate weak areas of a cadet during different phase of training, so that special effort could be put in for improvement of those aspects.
(c) It is an aid to the commanding officer in forwarding follow up reports on young officers.
(d) It helps in the standardization of the assessment of various assessors.
(e) It helps in conducting comparative study of the improvement of the cadet term-wise, phase wise and after commissioning.
Marking the Rating Scale
96. Each quality has a ten point scale shown against it on the ratings scale. The ten points are.
Outstanding Well Above Just High Low Just Below Well Poor
Above Average Above Average Average Below Average Below
Average Average Average Average
O WAA AA JAA HA LA JBA BA WBA P
1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Marks
202 180 157 135 112 90 67 45 22 0
to to to to to to to to to to
225 201 179 156 134 111 89 66 44 21
96. The extreme lest-hand point of the scale indicates the presence of a quality to the full extent and extreme right-hand point would indicate that the candidate is poor in that quality.
Values to the Rating Scale of the GTO
97. The value of rating scale to the GTO is as given below:
(a) To clarify the qualities and skills which the group testing officer is looking for in the candidates.
(b) Gives a yard-stick of particular abilities and skills required of an individual in the job that he is going to do in the Armed Forces.
(c) Provides the quality profile of an individual indicating his strong points as well his weaknesses.
Common Errors in Rating
98. The use of rating scale rests on the assumption that the human observer is capable of reasonable degree of precision and objectivity. Nevertheless wherever judgement involving human beings is concerned, errors are likely. It is therefore desirable to be ever alert to the weaknesses involved and to the many sources of personal biases. The common errors are:
(a) The error of leniency: It has been statistically proved that raters tend to rate those whom they know well, higher than they should. Conscious of this failing some raters lean over backwards and as a result rate individuals lower than they should.
(b) The error of contrast: Some raters have a tendency to rate others on a trait in the opposite direction from themselves, for example, an assessor with high stamina may tend to rate others low in it.
(c) Error of central tendency: Raters hesitate to give extreme judgements on a ratings scale. Hardly ever a candidate is assessed at level one or at level ten. Rates also hesitate to give bold judgements to indicate comparative performances. As a result, they tend to displace individuals in the direction of the mean of the total group. For example, the tickings of rating scales on grades two, three and four are not sufficient in number as is otherwise expected in a normal distribution.
(d) Halo effect: It means ‘a general impression’ created in the minds of assessors that colours their judgement on very many different qualities. A superficial attribute like the manner of talk or bearing may set up a halo which may cause the assessor to rate the candidate fairly high in very many other qualities. Similarly a bad behaviour of the candidate may cause a horn or negative halo which leads the assessors to rate the candidate poorly in other qualities.
(e) Logical error: Assessors are likely to give similar ratings for traits that seem logically related in the minds of raters, e.g. social adaptability and cooperation.
(f) Contagious bias: This is due to the attitude of the observer, his personal, likes, dislikes, preferences and prejudices which tend to affect the rating.
Ticking of the Rating Scale
99. Since rating means indicting the range of suitability of a person for job performance. The assessor must know the job requirement. Keeping the job requirement in mind he sets the range of OLQ in terms of qualities analysis and the rating scale for quantitative measurement. The GTO must ask himself the following questions before ticking the scale:
(a) What is the index i.e. what is to be assessed.
(b) How much index i.e. yard stick or scale.
Marketing of Rating Scale
100. The ten point rating presently being used for award of marks is as given below:-
Outstanding WAA AA JAA HA
225-202 201-180 179-157 156-135 134-112
LA JBA BA WBA POOR
111-90 89-67 66-45 44-22 21-0
Potentiality and Trainability
101. The Services Selection Boards have to decide only one question and that is whether the candidate will reach the standard required of an officer in the Armed Forces after the prescribed period f training. This question cannot be fully considered without taking into account the potentiality and the trainability of candidate and also the qualities that can be developed during training.
Potentiality
102. The candidate has not developed enough in some qualities at the selection stage but he would be capable of developing them during the training period or with age and experience. Therefore, it means that the candidate has these qualities but they are not fully developed. To determine this, therefore, it is essential that we look at the candidate's achievements and development of personality trends from two points of view –
(a) The facilities that the candidate has had previously to develop these qualities.
(b) The degree of development of these qualities at the moment.
Trainability
103. Candidate's ability to assimilate training and acquire or the quality traits that are refined in Training Institutions. The motivation and the receptivity of the individual would largely determine the trainability.
104. Factors of Trainability:
(a) OIR: Candidates having higher, Intellectual level have a higher training potential and better ability to learn from experience.
(b) Socio Economic Background: Candidates with relatively lower social economic background are likely to progress during training at a faster rate than the others. This would be possible as at the training institution they would encounter much better environment for development of the potential abilities than has been affected to them, by their restricted home and School background.
(c) Insight: Candidates with a better insight into their capability and drawbacks have a higher training potential.
(d) Motivation: A heightened state of motivation to do well in general and specifically in the entrusted job is conductive to better and faster learning.
(e) Age: Candidates at younger age level are more mouldable and would respond better to training aimed at developing their abilities, attributes and attitudes.
(f) Duration of Training: The longer the duration of training the better are the prospects of the candidate to benefit and show progress.
(g) Present level: The award of trainability will also be proportionate the manifest performance at the SSB. Lower the present level lower the trainability and Vice- Versa.
Vitiating Factors in Candidates Performance in SSB’s
105. At times the manifest performance of a candidate may not be an accurate index of his level. There are various reasons that could vitiate the performance of a candidate some of these could be:
(a) Socio economic and educational background which may have prevented the candidate from adjusting adequately to the test situation.
(b) Peculiar group compositions and interactions therein.
(c) Limitations of the technique and may be even of the assessor himself if he does not apply the technique as well as he should.
(d) Limitations of the candidate
(e) Age, as it restricts the behaviour adjustment.
Report Writing
Report writing is the finalisation of the GTO’s observation, interpretation and evaluation of a candidate’s suitability to become a commissioned officer. The report is not quality wise assessment of a candidate, but a pen picture indicating his total group effectiveness. It is a document which contains an assessment in precise terms and becomes a permanent record for further reference.
106. Contents of the Report:
(a) A moving picture of a live personality described in the context of the group.
(b) It should give a true picture of his total group effectiveness.
(c) Every assessment be in relation to group relation.
107. The candidate’s reactions to the group situations and what the group collectively thought of him is more indicative of his ability the impression created on the GTO by him. It is his impact over the group that gives correct measure of his group effectiveness.
108. The candidate must be viewed from all angles i.e. his present developed qualities as also his inadequacies and defects and the extent to which he will improve with training.
Report Language
109. The language used in the report must be free from technical jargon and should be clear and precise. Some of the common faults are illustreted below:
Contradiction of Statements
Ambiguity.
Unduly long and involved sentences.
Absence of Logical Sequence.
Constant use of hackneyed expression.
Overwriting for effect.
Pdding to cover up poverty of ideas.
Grammatical errors.
From of the Rport
110. A report should bring out the factual patterns of behaviour of the candidate, in the various test situations, to complete the true picture and to draw valid interpretation leading to the personality profile of the candidate. The report should be divided into three parts, the first two dealing with the factual and the third with the interpretations of those factual. The layout of the report should, therefore, be as follows:
(a) Factual data on the candidate’s performance in the indoor series of tasks bringing out the extent of his group effectiveness and clarifying whether his effectiveness, or limitation to it, have been due to functional, group- cohesive or stability factor
(b) Factual data in a similar manner on the candidate’s performance on outdoor series of tasks.
(c) An introduction of the candidate and interpretations out of the factual paragraphs to bring out personality profile summary covering all the factor, assessment, evaluation and recommendations.
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Group and its Implications
111. Groups are mechanism for achieving individual satisfaction through interaction (Gibbs-1954).
112. Therefore, the constituent members in a collection of individuals have to bear an explicit psychological relationship with one another. For purpose of group testing, the group should reveal the characteristics as under:-
(a) It should be a collection of individuals in close proximity to one another.
(b) It should accept common task the aim of the group as their own, in which the problems are share by individuals and each individual is concerned not only for himself but for others.
(c) As result of (b) above, they would be interdependent in their activities.
(d) The members should interact, primarily, through oral communication directly so that each individual is aware of others.
(e) The group should be of a small size.
113. As the appraisal of an individuals’ personality pattern through the group testing technique requires the observations and interpretations of behaviour patterns, it becomes necessary to develop an ‘experimental group’ from an amorphous collection of individuals in a comparatively short time.
114. To understand one’s behaviour assessor must understand the tensions and relationship and forces within these group. Theoretically it is impossible to learn all we need by understanding the individual only. The complexity is caused by the fact that the members of any group are in dynamic relationship with one another. The behaviour of each one affects all the others. These effects rebound on the original members who in turn, influence all others anew and this complex takes place simultaneously amongst all members.
Determinates of Group Size
115. The actual size of group is determined by external factor e.g. the number that a group testing officer can observe and assess and by internal factor such as functional effectiveness. For certain functions the group must be small while for other it must be large. From the practical point of view, therefore, the optimum size for group situational should be eight members in a group with six members as the minimum size of the group and ten the maximum.
Interpersonal relations
116. Interpersonal relations are those aspects of interaction that effect the way each individual reacts to the other individual in a group as a person. Dimensions which give rise to a variety of behaviour.
(a) Like-dislike Dimension: In a situation of free choice, we may seek out one and avoid the other. We like one and do not like the other. In any combined activity, we may join hands with one another keeping our own reservations to ourselves and doing our best to complete the given task in the company of others, some whom we may not like, without disrupting the harmony of the group. The effectiveness of relations is judged by one’s ability to bring about unity, concord social understanding among individuals, and removing feeling of insecurity from general atmosphere and generating greater co-operation among members.
(b) Social sensitivity Dimension: Some persons are more sensitive than others in at least two ways. They are more sensitive to the ways, in which another individual is reacting and they are more sensitive to what is appropriate in a particular situation. The awareness of others reactions and of the situation is termed ‘social’ sensitivity. The ‘socially sensitive’ person may
(i) Manifest modesty and humility.
(ii) Choose his words.
(iii) Avoid criticism.
(iv) Be tactful and kind.
(c) The Threat Dimension: Another crucial aspect of interpersonal relation is the extent to which an individual considers every other person in the group as a threat to his ego, self-respect, position in the group or esteem in the eyes of the others. Threat makes a person
(i) More careful.
(ii) Reduces his contribution.
Co-operation and competitive Dimension: Closely related to the problem of threat is the dimension of co-operation and competition . A greater percentage of encouraging or rewarding remarks are made in co-operative group and significantly aggressive remarks in competitive groups. This results in
Friendliness.
(ii) Attentiveness.
Mutual cooperation.
Perception of favorable effects.
Coordination of efforts.
Intra Group Relation: Groups are not usually homogenous within but are characteristically divided into sub parts. They are
Dominant and submissive.
Sub groups or cliques.
Group Problems
117. A group has may problems of maintenance and “growth” to keep it in and effective state. These are:-
(a) Conflict or fight
(i) Means
(aa) Disagreement.
(ab) Hostility.
(ac) Tension.
(ad) Status of conflict.
(ii) Cause
(aa) Impossible condition of work.
(ab) Ambiguities of explanation.
(b) Apathy and non-participation.
(i) Means
(aa) Complete indifference.
(ab) Evidence of marked boredom.
(ac) Lack of enthusiasion.
(ii) Cause
(aa) Problem not important.
(ab) Non methodical way of working.
(ac) Poor communication.
(ad) Prolonged fight.
(c) Inadequate decision making
(i) Fear of consequences.
(ii) Conflict of loyalties.
(iii) Interpersonal conflict.
GTO’s Attitude
118. Effective application of the technique needs ‘Finesse’. It comes by experience and correct understanding and approach to the following essential ingredients:-
(a) Test technique: This consists of briefing, observation, recording, interpretation and evaluation of candidates.
(b) Presence of mind: The GTO should be quick to foresee, understand, appreciate and deal with any situation during the testing.
(c) Attitude towards other: It is important for a GTO to have the right attitude towards himself candidates, the organisation and other assessors.
119. Attitude towards Candidates: The GTO should be:-
(a) Kind, sympathetic and understanding not in assessment but in his attitude. He should be forgiving and generous when required.
(b) Non-discriminatory and benign. He should be unbiased towards caste, creed and religion of the candidate.
(c) Should avoid being extra positive so as to actually lead them or give them a pointer about the type of behaviour he approves or that he hopes to find, or a particular desired solution.
(d) Should be unassuming, unobtrusive and unostentatious. He should not show of and thrust himself on the candidates. He should not project his own personality as it is a sign of insecurity and not suited for objective evaluation of others.
(e) All actions and warning should be directed towards the group in general and not towards any individual. If praise is given it should be only when it is required to ward off frustration.
(f) GTO is like a catalytic agent to elicit spontaneous behaviour.
(g) He should have strength of character to restrain himself and let others project themselves.
(h) He should be business oriented during the tasks and not too familiar. After the tasks he should ensure detensing and sealing off when required.
(j) His interference should be purposive using discretion. Constant interference will result in lack of spontaneity. On the other hand being passive will result in lack of control and the productivity of the group will be low.
Borderliners
120. Borderliners are those candidates who fall in the twilight zone between adequate and inadequate. These candidates are either on or near the border on both sides. Their predictive level is either less, equal to or greater than the required level. In terms of rating scale they are tick VI and VII. In terms of marks from 67 to 111 as follows.
(a) Low Borderliners - 67 to 75
(b) High Borderliners - 75 to 89
(c) Cleared adequate as borderliners - 90 to 111
121. Low borderliners will have tendency towards rejection due to their doubtful nature and being low. High Borderliners could have a tendency towards acceptance, their level being higher provided there are no angularities which could affect or impair trainability. Those found cleared adequate as borderliners are given benefit of doubt. The assessor feels that in their case the present weaknesses will be over come during training and the candidate will come yup to the acceptable level.
Reasons for being a borderliner
122. There could be a number of reasons as to why a candidate is borderliners.
(a) The candidates over all socio-intellectual level.
(b) Weaknesses in the candidate. These could be limitation or angularities.
(c) Insufficient measure of the required qualities.
(d) Inconclusive evidence.
123. What the GTO should Do: Borderliners form a sizeable portion on a ten point rating scale they constitute 22+16 that is 38% of the candidates. They require careful handling, the GTO should ensure the following to improve his assessment of borderliners:-
Briefing: talk at the candidate’s level, remove anxiety and undue fears. He should encourage and create confidence amongst the candidates.
Tasks: Careful selection of GD topics and judicious distribution in HGT should be ensured. He should choose the correct CT for the candidate after due thought and deliberation.
Handling: His handling should be mature and purposive in order to extract maximum data.
Observation: It should be detailed, sustained and unbiased.
Recording: It should be unbiased and factual.
Rank rating: It should be accurate and precise in order to monitor the trend and consistency of the candidates performance.
Interpretation and evaluation: He should consider the nature of the in adequacies, how deep rooted they are, whether they are limitations or angularities and the effect of training on them.
Conference: The GTO should keep the collective level of group in mind before finally deciding. He should attend the conference with an open mind and be willing to make adjustive changes in his conference marks. As in some cases with adequate training and supervision the borderliner is likely to come up to the required standard.
Stress and Stability
124. Stress is a state of mind and body in which the situations or events produce unpleasant emotional tension or a feeling of discomfort. Stress is caused by conditions which tend to threaten an individual’s security and well being . An individual’s security and well being depend on the satisfaction of his needs. If the needs are satisfied, he feels safeguarded. If these are not satisfied, his security and well being are thwarted and he experiences stress.
Stress and Awareness
125. An individual may be aware or unaware of the stresses acting on him. Thus, A student at an examination is usually aware of the stress of the examination. An example of unconscious stress would be the daily routine of duties. Most individual ate not aware of a mild continuous stress which everyday work imposes. It is only when the individual goes on a holiday that he realizes the difference.
Symptoms of stress
126. Stress reveals itself in a variety of ways. It can be in the nature of physiological changes like alarm reactions, resistance and exhaustion. Behavioral symptoms of stress are:-
Withdrawal from a situation.
Avoiding responsibility and passing the same to others.
Conflicts and anxiety preventing effective functioning.
Aggression or rigidity in behaviour.
Vacillation and indecision.
Lack of capacity to think clearly on simple problems.
Disorganization and confusion.
Errors in simple tasks.
Forgetting to do or name things one does not normally forget
Breaking rules and resorting to shorts-cuts to reach the goal.
Tendency to cheat for small gains when things are difficult.
Justifying wrong acts or telling lies.
Nervousness; irritability, unhappiness, depression and frustration etc.
Intensity and duration of stress and its Effect
127. Intense stress of a fairly long duration will deeply penetrate the superficial crust of façade and conscious compensations and reveal the deeper strata of personality. However, the intensity and duration of the stress must be kept within the maximum tolerance limit of the individual and the group. Graduated doses of stress should be applied and yet allow the candidate to maintain his identity and ‘self concept’. Extreme application of stress must be avoided as it would require a high degree of psychological skill to ‘seal-off of disperse the after effects of the same.
128. A number of laboratory studies on individual under stress and field studies of reaction of the group to a wide variety of environmental stresses have led to the following generalization about the effects of external stresses:
In their initial impact stresses increase variability of behaviour and reduce its consistency.
Moderate external stress tends to produce some performance improvement; savers stress results in disorganized performance.
Initial response to moderate stress is shock or resistance. This is followed by recovery and even overcompensation. If the stress is extreme or continues over a longer period of time lowered performance and ultimately collapse or breakdown occurs.
Effective leadership and healthy inter-personal relations reduce the initial shock reaction and make possible a longer period of adaptation to unabated stress.
Types of stress
129. In the context of group testing, the candidate gets subjected to the following types of stress while working within the group:-
Endogenous stress: This is due to conflict, liability and frustration and is regulated in the group from within the group itself. This may be due to some disruptive members of the group or due to the demands of some of the inactive members of the group.
Exogenous stress: This is due to the difficulty of the time limit and interference by the GTO of his attitude and presence. This stress binds the group together as they fight it.
Intra- Psychic stress: This acts selectively on individual because of their desire to shine and meet the demands of the group.
Frustration reaction to stress
130. In the course of performing GTO tasks the frustration reaction of an impasse is varied according to the personality of the individual. An adequate individual will remove stress with tact from others; he will try to encourage others so as to reduce endogenous stress. He will identify roles each candidate is suitable for. Here frustration becomes a stimulant for an adequate candidate.
131. In inadequate individuals the behaviour pattern is different for different types of individuals. The anxious types become nervous. The compensatory types resort to bluffing. The depressive types blame themselves and become morose and mortified. Where as others, the projective types blame others and not themselves. Some, the hysterical type, may display hysterical behaviour.
Stress and Stability in Group Tasks
132. Group tasks provide a medium by which an individual’s functional capacity in stress can be assessed. The two main stresses in group testing are the problem stress and the social stress. Variety of tasks with a wide range of difficulty provide the problem stress and group situations, causing the participant to interact and generate social stress.
133. A will adjusted person is not the one without stress but the one who has learnt to handle the stress that he encounters. A measure of the stability of a stable person is the manner in which he copes with stresses.
Sociometric Techniques
134. While psychometric techniques provide an understanding of the individual, sociometric techniques enable us to understand the structure and functioning of groups. Since an individual spends a good deal of time and effort as a member of one group or the other, it is reasonable to hold that a deeper understanding of the individual would be achieved by a study of his interaction with other persons in the group. Sociometric techniques thus provide a reasonable understanding of the individual and the group of which he is a member.
135. A person may develop positive feelings towards some, negative feelings towards some and feelings of indifference towards some. These feelings may be modified in the light of additional experience and then become more or less stable in due course. A study of these feeling gives a lot of data for an understanding of the individuals, their interpersonal relations and the group dynamics. Sociometric techniques on the basis of above data thus provided a sensitive measure of the individual, inter-personal and group characteristics.
Conclusion
136. In order to appreciate the value of this technique one ought to understand the underlying rational that is, man is fundamentally a social being. As such whether we are studying the behaviour of a man, we are really studying the behaviour of a man as influenced by his perception of the social world. There probably exists no such being as an individual in isolation. This approach emphasizes the need to study not the static pattern of individuals, but to analyse and interpret the dynamics of inter-relationships to consider not merely a man’s conscious appreciation of a situation but total adjustment to it. This widened concept of studying personality therefore concerns itself not merely with a man as a solitary organism but as a member of a group interacting continuously with the group or groups in which he finds himself; influencing them and being influenced by them. It therefore, becomes, from study of a man in depth, a study of a man as a participating member of a social field.
130. The group testing technique therefore assesses an individual in the context of an experimental group, which is subjected to a considerable physical and mental stress. From this, one seeks to observe and evaluate an individual’s group effectiveness or in other works the sum total of an individual’s contribution to the group and to the task and to determine an individual’s ability to function in a group and based on this functional capacity, to ascertain his actual and potential level and to assess his suitability for the Armed Forces.
introduction
1. As opposed to testing individuals in isolation group testing attempts to evaluate individuals in the context of a group. The role of group testing in the Service Selection Boards is to determine an individual’s ability to function in a group and based on this functional capacity, to ascertain his actual and potential level and to assess his suitability for the Armed Forces. Group testing as a technique of assessment differs from other psychological groups tests, like Intelligence Tests administered to a group while the former promotes interplay and interaction in a group in order to facilitate the assessment of the individual, the latter prohibits such interaction at the time of testing even though the tests are administered to a group. The group testing technique therefore assesses an individual in the context of an experimental group, which is subjected to a considerable physical and mental stress. From this, one seeks to observe and evaluate an individual’s group effectiveness or in other works the sum total of an individual’s contribution to the group and to the task.
Aim
2. The aim of this paper is to make a presentation on ‘GTO Technique’.
Scope
3. The scope of the paper is as under:
(a) Introduction to Group Testing.
(b) Principles of Group Testing.
(c) Group Situational Tasks.
(d) Briefing.
(e) Recording and Rank Rating.
(f) Rating Scale Ticking and Marking.
(g) Potentiality and Trainability.
(h) Report Writing.
(j) Group and its Implications.
(k) Stress and Stability.
(l) Sociometric Techniques
Introduction to Group Testing
4. As such, a clear understanding of a man’s behavior and personality can be achieved through the study of his social surroundings. This is because a man’s personality and character traits are largely determined by the social field in which he finds himself. Since the social field in which a man finds himself conditions his behavior and personality to a great extent his personality might be termed as a reaction to that field. The development and growth of personality is the result of its passing from simpler to larger and complex field, from family to school, neighborhood and ultimately into the greater community. Some of these fields will inhibit a man’s personality in some aspects; others will expand it, but all will modify and shape it.
Group Effectiveness:
5. From the foregoing one might say that since man’s personality and behaviors is affected and molded to a large extent by his environment, then, if one can choose and control these environments, one may hope to control and influence the personalities in them. In the Services Selection Boards, the word “Social Field” or “Environment” has been substituted by the work “Group”. It is in the context of the group subject to stresses of time and problem, that individuals are tested. It is considered that if one can control the stresses to which a small group is submitted, one can hope to provide its members both opportunities for leadership and conditions that limit these opportunities. From the ability of a person to take advantages of these opportunities and his adjustment to the limiting conditions, one can draw tentative estimate of the person’s ability. What one seeks to observe and evaluate is called an individual’s ‘group effectiveness’- the sum total of an individual’s contribution to the group and its tasks.
6. Group effectiveness can be differentiated into the following three components:
(a) Effective Level of Functioning: Ability to contribute towards the functional aspects of the common task by planning and organizing and executing. It consists of planning, implementation and practical contribution.
(b) Group Cohesiveness: Ability of the members of the group to relate emotionally to each other and to the task. This is the binding force which forms and maintains the group. Social qualities of the group influence the attainment of its aim and objectives.
(c) Stability: Ability to stand up to the resistance, frustration and stress without serious impairment of effective level of functioning and of group cohesiveness.
The Nature of Group Task
7. A procedure of testing, admittedly, must cater to the requirement of the job but, at the same time, it should be fair to the assessee in so far as it should provide him sufficient opportunity to show his best in the time available. For this purpose the group testing technique consists of subjecting group and its members to a number of different situations based on ‘free-for-all’ i.e. leaderless group tasks in which the individuals have freedom to choose their own behavior roles, lay down their own priorities for action and engage themselves in collective group-activity promotively or otherwise, influencing each and bringing about modifications in their own behavior and in the behavior of other individuals. The assessment of behavior is made on the overall integrated activity rather than on the basis of addition of scores of specified test situations. Hence, these are called tasks and not tests.
Nature of Group Tasks
8. These tasks are situational, stressful and completing and leaderless and require the individual to solve specific concrete problems by actual participation. These tasks are therefore, action-oriented and release considerable measure of dynamic forces from each participating member. In designing situational tasks attempts are made to reproduce the conditions and frustrations under which the individual will eventually perform. Since it is not possible to predict all the forms of numerous situations as individual will encounter in nature, the candidate is exposed to situations that he is usually likely to meet in his future service like.
The Concept of Group Development
9. As the performance of the individual in a group forms the basis on which assessment of his personality is made, it becomes necessary to inculcate the group feeling amongst the amorphous collection of individuals who join to form the group. The process of transformation from an unorganized body to a well-formed and fully developed group passes through certain definite, though overlapping stages of development. These stages area:
(a) Formation: This is a process of collecting individuals in an area or place to do something.
(b) Exploration: This takes place when each individual in the group tries to know the others in relation to him self.
(c) Competition: This arises when each members shows his need for recognition by the others in the group.
(d) Cooperation: Compromise, reconciliation and cooperation comes in when individuals realize the need for collective efforts in accomplishing a common task.
(e) Discipline: Finally, it is the sense of discipline when the individual interests are submerged for the larger good of the group.
Three Phase Group Testing:
10. The method followed in group testing technique is first to understand the group of individuals and their inter-relationships and second to observe each individual separately to check and recheck particular findings, confirm or rebut these and third to resolve doubts specially in borderline cases. For this purpose, the group-situational tasks are divided into three phases, namely, the Basic Series, the Confirmatory Series and the Final Series.
(a) Basic Series: The Basic Series enables the group testing officer to get a general view of the group effectiveness of the candidates in a leaderless group. In the tasks of Basic Series, therefore, a GTO’s observation is focused mainly on roles like communicating, planning, organsing, practical execution, persuading others to one’s own line of thinking, adaptability to people and situations, particularly difficult people and situation creating stress.
(b) Confirmatory Series: The Confirmatory Series shifts the GTO’s observation from the general view to a close up or pin-pointing of the behavior patterns. In his selective differentiation of the candidate’s behavior, GTO concentrates on less clear parts which, nevertheless, are of critical importance to the total picture he is trying to build. The tasks administered in this phase, therefore, are either on smaller groups or on individuals. The first task in the Confirmatory Series is the Half Group Task (HGT). In this the original group is divided into two halves and each sub-group is required to tackle one and the same obstacle one after the other. The division of the original group is preplanned by the GTO. The other three tasks in this Series, which can be administered in any order and even after longer breaks, are:
Lecturette, where each candidate gets the opportunity of giving a short talk on a subject to the rest of the group.
Individual Obstacles, where each candidate is required to tackle a set of ten obstacles of varying physical difficulties within the allotted time.
The Command Task, where each candidate is nominated as a commander for one task consisting of an obstacle and is provided helping material. He is given the option of choosing his own team from amongst the group for doing his task.
(c) The Final Series allows the GTO to put together different bits and pieces of information obtained from the two earlier testing series and weave it into an organized pattern, giving a global view of the personality of each individual. It also helps in removing any halo effect that might have been created in the individual tasks. The final series consists of one long task, called the Final Group Test (FGT), similar to the Fourth obstacle of PGT. Which exposes the candidates to a complicated and frustrating situation.
11. With the help of these tasks the GTO concentrates on the candidate’s ability to effectively organise men and material, take quick, decisions on various projects and show sensible use of his physical abilities. With the increased differentiation of the candidates abilities there is a continuous referral back from pin pointed ability to the general ability to understand the overall pattern of the candidate.
The Rationale of Three Phase Testing
12. The division of the group testing battery into three phases has its roots in the psychological concept of Gestalt. Gestalt is a German word meaning a pattern or a form. A pattern is not a summation of a number of parts constituting it but an integration of these components where each part is inter linked, intertwined and interdependent with the other parts and with the whole. What one perceives is a diversified whole and not an aggregate or summation of independent parts. In terms of Gestalt psychology, therefore, perceptive thinking is the progressive differentiation of a Gestalt or a pattern, into its component parts, not vice-versa. From this it would be evident that the process of perception passes through three stages, namely:
(a) Integration: Perceiving a thing or a phenomenon as a whole.
(b) Differentiation: Concentrating or focusing attention on parts in a continuous inter linked series of the whole.
(c) Reintegration: Relating parts to the whole and whole to the parts.
13. A similar process takes place in the three phase group testing. The tasks in phase I, the Basic, Series, involve all members of the group. It is the integration stage, where the GTO gets a general impression of each candidate’s group effectiveness. Phase II, the Confirmatory Series, is the differentiation stage. The tasks in this phase are administered to a smaller number of members in the groups or to individuals, either apart from the group or as in charge of the group. From Phase I to Phase II, the GTO’s attention swings from the total field to a close-up or pin-pointing of the query area. This implies a Selective differentiation, i.e. concentration on that part of differentiated field which is least clear and which seems of critical importance in clarifying the total picture. Thus the GTO explores the candidate’s abilities in greater depth and with more intensive observation. Phase III, the final series, is the re-integration stage, where the emphasis is towards a more relaxed way of observation of the complete group for general and total picture of each candidate’s behavior.
The Problems Studies by GTO
14. During the administration of the group testing battery, while observing the development of individuals in the social field of a group, the GTO studies the following two problems concerning the individual and seeks to find their answers:
(a) The Outer Problems: The problems of the given practical test situations, i.e. the outer problems. On the given problems the GTO seeks to find answers to such questions as, is he physically adequate for the job that will concern him as an officer? If not will he be adequate with training? Is he quick enough to react to a problem? Are his plans sound and workable? Is he balanced enough in his judgment? Is he effective in his communication skill? Is he resourceful in organizing and controlling things? Is he competent in dealing with practical situations? Does he improve, keep stationary or deteriorate as the test progress? What attitude does he reveal towards the general problems under discussion and execution and what inference can be drawn from his performance in the given situation about his behavior in similar life size situations?
(b) The inner problems: The hidden inner-social problems of the individual, i.e. the inner psycho-dynamic problems. Through this outer layer, the GTO penetrates into the inner layer to seek answers to these questions: From the way this individual is behaving with his fellows, what sort of social contacts have he? How does he reconcile his desire to do well for himself with his need to be a part of the team and how smoothly does he progress from competition to discipline? How are his group mates reacting towards him? How does he react to stressful situations and how stable is he under such situations?
The Need for Stress in Group Tasks
15. In looking into the psychodynamic aspects of an individual, a GTO, therefore evaluates both his social aspects and dynamic aspect. The social aspect is related to the individual’s social contact with others-the extent to which the individual is interested in, sensitive to and identifies with other people and problems. The dynamic aspect relates to the level of the stress resistance and the individual shows when faced with difficult and awkward situations, i.e. coolness in action or calmness in crisis. It is not only confined to the continuous capacity to resist the deteriorating effects of stress, but also to return to normal when these stresses have passed off.
The Value of Group Testing Battery
16. The group testing battery is a powerful instrument for sound appraisal of every individual tested. The utility and productivity of this battery will, however, depend on its effective application by the GTO with the requisite finesse both in the administration of the test battery as also in observation and interpretation of the pattern and effectiveness of a candidate’s behavior. The Five essential steps in the work of a GTO are:
(a) Briefing and conducting group-situational tasks.
(b) Observation and recording of behavior responses.
(c) Identification and interpretation of the mental traits which cause the candidate to behave or respond in that particular manner.
(d) Appraisal of the interplay of various traits to determine the individual’s personality pattern and evaluation of the utility of the same in the context of the service life.
(e) Estimation of improvement likely to be effected by subsequent training.
Principles of Group Testing
The group testing technique is based on sound psychological principles. Which give it the strength and stability to function as a valid instrument of assessment
The principles on which the group testing technique is based are:-
(a) Gestalt
(b) Social Field
(c) Consistency
Group Development
Free Association
Sociometry
Gestalt
19. Gestalt is a German word which means a configuration, an organised whole a pattern or form. It is not a summation i.e. a sum total of independent parts, but integration, where each part is interlinked with the other parts and with the whole.
20. As the basic concept of gestaltian approach is in the field of perception it is important to understand what the term perception implies. Perception is more than mere awareness of sense data present. It means thing or data present, superimposed by one’s past experience in similar direction which gives meaning to the thing. The process of perception, when analysed falls, therefore, into three parts or aspects.
(a) Presentative aspect: The actual sense data present.
(b) Representative aspect: Revival of similar past experience.
(c) Relational aspect: Seeing the relation between the two and giving an interpretation.
21. Thus every object or situation is perceived in relation to the whole experience, present and the past. Allport in his laws of perception clarifies as follows; thinking is a progressive differentiation of of gestalt or pattern or form. One perceives a new thing or an idea as a whole, and proceeds to differentiate it into its component parts, organised and interlocked in a field of forces; relating one part to the other parts’ and the other parts to the continuous whole, and the whole to the parts, in a dynamic orderly interaction where some parts appear as figure and the remainder as ground in an alternate sequence”.
22. Figure and Ground: The gestalt way of perceiving, i.e. observing and understanding, present the phenomenon of figure and ground. Figure is the object of concentration at a given time, and the ground is the environment in relation to which the figure is perceived. When the attention of the observer is lifted from one object or part to the other objects or parts, the new objects or part becomes the figure, while the old objects or parts become the ground. This gives one the continuity and interrelation. In the case of personality examination the particular trait under the focus of attention is the figure, and the other traits in relation to which it is perceived become the ground.
23. Stages of Gestalt: From the description of gestalt as enunciated by Allport, it follows that the process of perception passes through continuous and organized field of dynamic forces in three stages:-
(a) Integration: Perceiving a thing or a phenomenon as a whole.
(b) Differentiation: Concentrating or focusing one’s attention on parts, lifting attention to other parts, and studying each parts in a continuous inter linked series of the whole.
(c) Reintegration: Relating the part (s) to the whole and whole to the part(s)
24. Application to Group Testing: In the group testing technique the principle of gestalt it operative in several ways as under:-
(a) Of the three phase group testing technique, phase one the Basic Series is the ‘integration’ phase where the GTO gets a general impression of candidate’s group effectiveness and phase two the ‘Confirmatory Series’ is the ‘differentiation’ phase, intensive observations and by focusing his attention on smaller number of candidates or an individuals. In phase three, the Final Series, the concentration and sharpness of phase two is directed towards the whole group for a general and total picture of candidate’s behavior. This is ‘reintegration’.
(b) A candidate is observed not in isolation but as a part of the group interacting with other candidates in a dynamic manner.
(c) In the group, those candidates who work in the main portion of the group activity, come under the direct observation, while the others remain in the back ground i.e. “ground”. When the GTO lifts his attention from one set of candidates to the others, the others become the ‘figure’. His perception of the candidates swings in the form of figure and ground, from one or the candidates to the remaining candidate in the group.
Social Field Theory
25. The term field connotes a field of related energies. Basic concept of the theory is that the human individual is an organism functioning in a social field. His social functions are best observed in that field, that is, the group in which the individual interacts continuously with other members, influencing them, and being influenced by them.
26. In accordance with this concept, the social filed in which a man finds himself not only determines the man, his personality but also his total behavior, which includes his thoughts and feeling. From a certain total environment, comprising a situation and an individual, there results a certain behavior. Behavior, therefore, is the function of a person interacting to environment.
27. Application: The concept of social filed is applicable in its entirety to the group testing technique, particularly in all leaderless group tasks. The GTO observes the candidates in miniature groups, or in a micro community of 3 to 5 members in a half group task and about 6 to 10 members in a full leaderless group task . He is mostly concerned with their social behavior in group dealing with people and problems. He wants to find out how each individual influences others and gets influenced by others in a corporate group life. In observing the human relations, the GTO bears the four behavioral considerations in mind to arrive at his judgment :-
(a) That the behavior is to be observed in totality of coexisting facts.
(b) That there is an existence of a dynamic filed of forces in each individual and this has its influence on others in a variety of ways to strengthen the collective activity or to weaken it.
(c) That effective behavior of the individual can only be observed when he is a part of the situation along with other individuals. At situations changes, there is some change in the behavioral pattern but such changes or modifications of behavior should remain within certain range. Too much change in the individual’s behavior pattern from one controlled situation to other controlled situations becomes a matter of concern for the GTO.
(d) That the achievement of the group is closely related to the effectiveness of each individual in the group. The relationship between each individual and other members of the group is based on a close and intimate understanding of each other.
Consistency
28. An individual’s behavior is the product of the situation and that, behavior results when his personality reacts to the environment. Therefore, whenever there is a change in the situation certain modifications in the behavior pattern of the individuals are inevitable, resulting in some variation in his performance level. Sometimes the individual shows more effectiveness and at other times less effectiveness. This would imply that smaller the range of variability of his typical performance level, the more consistent the individual will be.
29. Consistency of an individual depends on a variety of factors like maturity level of aspiration, depth and quality of thinking, social relations, attitude towards people, work and responsibility and the type of experiences that he has had in life. The more stable an individual the more consistent he will be.
30. Application of Consistency in the Group Testing Technique: In exposing an individual to social situations and observing his interactions through his behavior, the GTO not only hopes to reveal his personality characteristics, but also to find out his effectiveness in dealing with different kinds of situations and the extent of consistency in his performance level. For this reason, there is a variety of tasks in the group testing situations. On the basis of his performance the individual is ‘rank rated’ at the end of each task and also after each phase of testing ABI or GABI rank-rating indicates to the GTO the performance level of the candidate and extent upto which he has been consistent over the entire set of situations administered to him.
Group Development
31. Man being gregarious by nature , his natural milieu is the group. He is born into a group i.e., society. All his activities are group activities and his entire behaviour, natural spontaneous or even put up, is group behaviour. It follows, therefore, that if individuals are put together in a strange environment and allowed to remain there for a period of time to deal with their problems, they will gradually form themselves into a group or a society of their own.
32. Sequence of Task: For an expeditious and smooth development of the temporary group created by the GTO through the five stages, the sequence of the tasks must be preserved and followed without long gaps between the task . A change in the sequence of the Basic Series Tasks or large gaps will hamper the development of the group. By the end of the cooperation stage, the structure of group should be sufficiently stable to bring in the stage of discipline and thus solidify the group structure. The GTO, like a group therapist, should act as a catalytic agent and constantly take timely action conducive to the development of the group.
Free Association
33. It is Freudian method which requires the patient to say everything that comes to his mind in a spontaneous manner. It allows the patient to speak without restraint and without any attempt on the part of the therapist to produce a logical and organised discourse. The role of therapist is to a great extent a passive one. As a confidant of the patient, he sits and listens, prods by asking questions when the verbal flow of the patient dries up, but he does not interrupt him when he is talking in order to reduce the influence of external distraction to the minimum, the patient is generally made to recline of a couch in quite room.
34. Application to Group Testing: Although a therapeutic technique, free association has been used to a great advantage in group testing. To generate natural and spontaneous behavior, the GTO, through his briefing and warm social contact allays undue test anxieties of the candidate and wins their confidence. He stimulates them into activity. The group is subjected to a number of different situations based on ‘free for all’. Each one is free to participate as much as he wants and in the manner he wants. The GTO takes on a passive role as an observer with his minimum but necessary and purposive interruptions into the group’s activities.
Group Situational Tasks
35. The group situational tasks aim at affording each candidate every opportunity to reveal himself fully both individually and in relationships with others. A prerequisite for the same is to create conditions suitable to obtain spontaneous and true test responses so that the relevant interactions reveal each candidate’s basic characteristic behavior. Once such basic pattern emerges, it is possible to evaluate the personality with respect to its suitability as an officer in the Armed Forces.
36. The candidates forming a group make their first contact with the GTO, a total stranger to them, with a good deal of apprehension. The unfamiliar surroundings and the unknown future make each candidate wary, and guarded. Therefore, for generation spontaneous behavior, the GTO has to establish a good ‘Rapport’ with his group, and allay their undue test anxiety. To do this the GTO meets his group informally and talks to the candidates for about 15 to 20 minutes before assigning them the first task. This informal talk, conducted slightly away from the place of the first task, is called pre-briefing.
Basic Series Tasks
Group Discussion (GD)
37. Group Discussion (GD) is the first task in the basic series, In this task, the candidates are given the opportunity to informally exchange their views on subjects of topical interest and of controversial nature. The keynote in the mutual communication is informality and no conclusions are required to be arrived at. The aim of this discussion is to help the candidates to know each other. Thus, it provides them the opportunity explore each other and to make impressions on one another.
38. Subjects for Group Discussion:The subjects given to the group should be suitable for the group being tested and interesting enough for their involvements. It is always better to discuss new and fresh subjects than those, which may have been discussed many times previously. The two subjects, presented initially to the group, should be of an average level. The level of subject for the subsequent discussion may be lowered or raised depending upon the performance of the group.
39. Duration: Once a subject is taken up, the discussion develops gradually. The sequence, generally followed is defining the subject, analyzing the subject and exchanging information and views. A period of 20 minutes is enough for an average group to discuss a subject. However, one cannot be rigid about this timing. The subject may be changed to maintain the tempo of discussion, to revive group interest when the subject under discussion shows signs of petering out or with a view to provide opportunity to the silent members to participate. When the second subject is introduced, the group may be allowed to discuss the same for 15 to 20 minutes. Discussion of two subjects is adequate to obtain all the data one is looking for in this task.
40. Value: Some of the points the GTO will observe about each individual in the discussion are:
(a) Logical in reasoning or generalise.
Ideas are trite and copied or sound.
Practical and realistic or retaining childish illusions.
Optimistic or uncritical.
Receptive or non receptive or non acceptive.
Repetitive or new line of thaught.
Content of views.
Manner of ad vocation.
Extent of impression
41. The group discussion enables the GTO to observe:-
(a) The content of each candidate’s views.
(b) The manner in which the views are advocated.
(c) The extent to which he impresses others.
(d) Other’s reaction to him.
42. The manner of a candidate’s contribution to the discussion is more important than its content. In so far as the content of candidate’s contribution is concerned, it may not be fair to judge him on so short a sample, which may not embrace his special interest. The manner of his contribution projects his interpersonal attitudes and group cohesiveness, including his special roles, namely:-
(a) Empathy i.e. ability to sense other people’s emotional attitude.
(b) The ability to encourage.
(c) To be firm.
(d) To be tactful.
(e) To bring others in picture and help them to become identified with the problem of subject.
Group Planning Exercise
43. Group Planning Exercise (GPE) consists of a situational problem given to candidates on a model. The problem affords a selection of possible solution and different ways of approach. This task is carried out in two phases:-
(a) The individual planning phases, when each candidate is required to write down his own solution to the problem.
(b) The group planning phase when the candidates are made to mutually discuss the problem and to work out corporate solution and plan of action.
44. In asking for a group solution, emphasis is laid for the first time on team endeavourer. Yet the need for a common solution introduces a sense of competition, as each candidate tries to secure the acceptance of his own plans. The discussion in the Group Planning Exercise is, therefore, a ‘purposeful’ discussion. Its purpose is:-
To create inter-dependent interaction promotively in a social situation.
(b) To make one competitively inter-related with others with a view to achieve recognition of one’s ideas and plans in the group and to have the same accepted. The idea is to find the solution that is the best for every one in the group to which all of most are committed.
45. Each candidate naturally tries to make others accept his solution as the common group plan. The resultant interplay of conflicting wishes and ideas enables the GTO to observe how the individual strives to impress himself on others and whether or not he shows signs of beginning to adapt himself to being a member of the group. The candidates are allowed a free hand in shaping their discussion; GTO’s interruptions, if any, are with a view to keep control over the group and to promote the development of the group plan.
46. Value: In this task the GTO observes the following in the candidate:-
(a) Ability to think constructively, imaginatively and to appreciate a situation both in detail and as a whole.
(b) He looks for the extent of objectivity in each candidate, his open- mindedness to the problem. His good will toward others, and his contribution towards a collective solution.
47. One may have excellent plans but may fail to convince the group; another person may carry the group with an inferior plan; still another may size the plans of others and attempt to get the credit for himself. A better leader will objectively evaluate his own ideas and those of others, select and coordinate best of those and give credit to each for his contribution. Thereby he will demonstrate both his planning and organizing ability i.e. his functional ability and group cohesiveness. By comparing the written plan of a candidate with his contribution during the discussion stage of the group plan, the GTO will be able to know how well the candidate planned, and to what extent he was able to make use of it in the discussion.
Progressive Group Task
48. The progressive Group Task (PGT) is the first outdoor task in the Basic Series. It consists of a set of four obstacles of progressively increasing difficulty, the last obstacle requiring the functional ability of a fairly high order and presenting a fair amount of difficulty and some degree of frustration. A leaderless group is required to cross these obstacles within a stipulated time of 40 minutes, carrying along with them a heavy, unwieldy or a delicate object called, the load. Certain helping materials like planks, ballies and ropes, are provided to the group for improvisation of a solution.
49. Rules: Certain areas are marked ‘out of bounds’ to men or material or to both. The group is required to observe the following rules while working:-
The group Rule: All the members of the group, material their helping materials and the load must cross the previous obstacle before approaching the next.
(a) The Color Rule: Any structure in the obstacle painted red, is to be considered as out of bounds to men, material and the load. Any structure in the obstacle painted blue/yellow is to be considered as out of bounds to material and the load . Any structure painted white, to be considered as in bounds to men material and load. Any infringement of this role will necessitate reversal to the state prior to such infringement.
(b) The Distance Rule: Any distance of four feet of more, vertically, horizontally and diagonally should be bridged across and not jumped across. In this case also. Infringement of the rule will require reversal to the pre-infringement state.
(c) Rule of Rigidity: Any two rigid helping materials cannot be tied together, thereby the distance for bridging.
(d) Rule of Infinity: The start line and finish line as marked on the ground have to be imagined as extending to left and right till infinity, thereby meaning that they are parallel and do not meet each other.
50. Values
Struggle for leadership takes new turn as verbal skills not at premium.
Problem can be tackled only once gp as a whole has accepted the plan.
Execution requires combined efforts through competition exists.
No role for theoretical planners and organizers as actual execution is required.
Problem and time stress generates spontaneity of behavior.
Competition to co-operation.
Level of functioning of each candidate is seen indicating consistency (Ascending /Descending).
Collective effort – demonstrate gp cohesiveness.
(j) Standing up to set-backs – demonstrate Stability.
51. Significance of the load: A heavy, unwieldy or delicate object, provided to the group as a load to be taken across, adds to the difficult level of each obstacle, acts as a binding forced in the group, being the common liability of al and helps in giving some satisfaction to the odd candidate for being able to do something useful for the group.
52. Once the group is launched on to the PGT, the GTO leaves the candidates free to choose their own behavior roles, lay down their own priority for action and engage themselves in collective group activity. The group is allowed to endure its own stresses. The GTO makes himself unobtrusive and inconspicuous but in a manner that his presence is still felt by the group. Therefore, while the principal of neutrality remains, the GTO does not merely stay as a passive spectator. Instead, he keeps a control over the pulse of the group activity by his careful and tactful handling and his own quick reaction to the changing situations. This purposeful occasional interference enables the GTO to regulate the stresses on the group, prevent any mishaps and ensure continuity of productive data.
53. Principles of designing PGT: The following are the principles for the designing of PGT:-
It should require no specialized knowledge of skill in tackling it.
Each successive obstacle should be progressively more difficult.
Each obstacle should have a minimum of three workable solutions.
The first obstacle should have a ‘wide entry’ the second a ‘narrow entry’ and the third the ‘narrowest entry’ and the last a ‘wide entry’ again.
54. Entry: By’ entry to an obstacle is meant the area around which the individuals in a group can function. This is dependent of the nature and design of the obstacle. A ‘wide entry’ will allow room for every candidate in the group to participate and be seen in action within the orbit of activity all the time. It is a safeguard for the shy and the timid and gives them a certain amount of inner satisfaction of having played some part, however small, in the group effort. It also facilitates functioning by responsibility acceptors, who may be quite adequate; capable and ready to accept responsibility but will not seek it or ‘thrust’ for it. A narrow entry has a screening effect between the ‘heads’ and the ‘tails’ between the mere dominant of effective candidates who initiate action and those who follow. It does not, however, profess to give any rank rating of an individual’s effectiveness in the group.
55. Frontage: This implies physical working space confronting the task. A wide working space would provide opportunity to most of the candidates in tackling the task, while a narrow space will prevent individuals with poor initiative and drive from coming forward and partaking in the activity, thus creating a distinction between the level of the individuals in a group.
56. A PGT starts off with an easy wide entry obstacle whose object is to shake down’ the candidates into a unified working group. It therefore, aims at promoting the formation of the group and providing inner satisfaction to all it constituents for having made some contribution to the group effort. The group should be able to Cross this obstacle in 3 to 5 minutes. The narrow entry in the second obstacle restricts effective action by four to five members, thus, facilitating the screening of the group of the group in to heads and tails i.e., whose who initiate solution or action and those who merely follow. Normally 6 to 8 minutes should be sufficient for the group to negotiate this obstacle. The third obstacle with ‘narrowest entry’ permitting effective action by only two or three members and of such complexity as might result in some impasse, facilitates detailed sifting of ‘heads’. This obstacle should normally required 12 to 15 minutes to tackle. The fourth obstacle is again a ‘wide entry’ obstacle in respect of the frontage and working area, but of a high degree of complexity and with some degree of frustration before its solution is found. It provides adequate area along which the group can deploy itself permitting immediate active participation of every member, enriched by their experience of having tackled the earlier three obstacles, the group should be able to cross this obstacle in about 15 to 20 minutes. This process of screening and it’s culmination in the entire group taking part in an obstacle with a wide entry will allow the GTO to formulate and revise in his mind a clearer picture of each candidate’s specific level.
57. Rationale of PGT design: The object of progressivity or gradual increase in the complexity of the obstacles is to ensure the projection of different levels of efficiency in a group, specially in terms of fundamental ability of individuals. Such progressively is designed as an effort to distinguish and classify the degree of functional ability of the various members in a group, when functioning in a leaderless group.
Group Obstacle Race
58. The group obstacle race (GOR) is the last task in the Basic Series. It consists of a parallel set of six obstacles which does not require much of mental ingenuity for crossing. However, from the point of view of physical difficulty and the time required to negotiate, these are arranged in a progressive order. In this task each group is required to race against the other within sight of each other over the parallel sets of obstacles. Each group must remain as a complete unit through out. Each group is provided with a long and cumbersome load, generally in the shape of a rolled up tent, which they have to take with them over the obstacles. In this task the prestige of each individual is put at stake, as the success of the group depends on each individual subordinating his interest for the common cause of the group. The binding force, is therefore, discipline thus culminating the development of the group GOR rounds up the Basic Series with the ultimate aim of social and emotional integration of the group.
Basic Series – Conclusion
59. As already stated, the aim of Basic Series is to promote conditions suitable for development of a group and to get a balanced sample of each candidate’s group effectiveness. Though Basic Series permits the GTO to form a good mental picture of a candidate, it also raises questions that require answering. These unresolved queries differ from individual to individual. Further testing, is therefore, necessary. These tests form the Confirmatory Series.
Confirmatory Series
60. The tasks in this series are meant for confirming observations of the Basic Series. New evidence should reinforce the old and give answers to questions which the GTO will have about the candidates. The tasks in the Confirmatory Series allow further observations of candidates who had not had adequate opportunity to show their abilities. The GTO is able to take a closer look at candidates through smaller group or individual tasks. It enables the GTO to concentrate on individual abilities outside the group and gives scope ascertaining qualities which are of doubtful nature. It is important to get down as early as possible to the critical query area in each candidate's personality. To get a clear answer one must put a clear question. A GTO’s approach throughout the Confirmatory Series, is, therefore, purposive for he knows what he is trying to confirm; what are his queries which he wants to resolve and in respect of which candidate. The tasks in the Series are: Half Group Task, Lecturette, Individual Obstacles and Command Task. Of these, the first task, i.e. half group task (HGT) should be done after the GOR Remaining tasks can be done in any order and even after longer intervals, if necessary.
Half Group Task
61. The Half Group Task (HGT) consists of one obstacle capable of completion by three to five candidates in about 15 minutes. Like an obstacle of PGT the candidates are required to take across a load with them and are provided with suitable helping materials to negotiate the obstacle. The rules of the (PGT) less the group rule apply equally in this task.
62. Division of the Group: The Division of the group into sub-groups depends upon what the GTO is desirous of eliminating. At the end of Basic Series the GTO may feel that in order to concentrate his observations more sharply on the doubtful, he would like to segregate them from certain candidates within the group. The undoubted excellence of one or two intelligent, assertive candidates or the influence of a disruptive aggressive ‘thruster’ may have resulted in the less, intelligent or less assertive members not being able to put up their best performance. Also it may be that a small clique is formed in the group due to a few candidates adherence to each other, who refuse to identify fully with the larger whole. These constraints are sought to be removed by the GTO, through his purposive splitting of the group.
63. Value: In the HGT not only is the GTO able to take a closer look at a smaller group but also his observations are channelised to specific areas desired by him and he is able to scrutinise behavior in greater details. By separating competing individuals he compels others to take action. It is specially useful in case of candidates who are border liners, immature, unusually inhibited or passive, as the GTO puts them in a position where they are compelled to reveal such capacities as they have.
Lecturette
64. In this task each candidate is required by turn to give a short talk to the other members of the group on a subject selected by him from a lecturette card given to him by the GTO. The GTO has a number of lecturette cards, one for each candidate, with four subjects on each card. Of the four subjects on each card, two are of average level and one each of above average and below average level. No subject is repeated on another lecturette card. Each candidate is allowed about three minutes to prepare and another three minutes to deliver his talk.
65. Values:
Manner in which the candidate speaks.
Self-confidence.
Ability to put across the subject matter.
Flow of ideas.
Interest generated in the listeners.
Candidate’s performance in delegated authority.
Individual Obstacles
66. Each candidate in this task is required by turn to complete a course of ten obstacles in three minutes. The obstacles differ in nature and physical difficulty requiring physical acts like leaping, rope climbing, long jumps, vaulting, balancing etc. Each obstacle is given a score from one to ten points prominently on a board beside it. The more difficult the obstacle the greater the number of points allotted to it. These obstacles are not arranged in their numerical order but are mixed and the candidates are allowed to start from wherever they want and to tackle them in any order they like. The time allowed is adequate for a candidate of average physical fitness to complete all the obstacles. A candidates after completing all the obstacles, is allowed to repeat the obstacles and depending upon the score of the obstacles repeated, he earns extra points, the aim being to score maximum points in the time allotted.
67. Values
Ability to plan the use of his body and muscular skills.
Physical fitness, physical endurance, stamina and application of work.
Utilisation of the limited time.
Pts secured – broad guide to his physical fitness.
Manner is more significant.
Command Task
68. In the command task (CT) each candidate is nominated as a commander for one practical task. Like HGT, the task consists of one obstacle capable of completion by three to four candidates in about 15 minutes and involves moving of a load across the obstacle using men and material. All rules of the PGT less group rule are applicable here as well. Each commander is allowed the choice of his own team from amongst the other members of the group. The GTO specifies the minimum and the maximum of the team’s strength so that each commander is made to leave out some members from his task. The commander is given a free hand to discharge his assignment without any promoting and contributions to the plan by others. The subordinates are also enjoined to merely do the commanders bidding and to speak only if asked by the commander. This also discourages the brighter candidates from doing the commander’s task for him.
69. Pre-selection of CT :There is a large variety of tasks available at the selection board, differing in their nature and difficulty. The GTO therefore, pre-selects a CT for each of the candidates depending upon the type of the candidate and the evidence he is looking for. The easy and the simple tasks should be given to those who will clearly not make the grade so as not to discourage them or disturb the balance of the group. The clear adequates may be given a difficult task, commensurate with their ability so as to fully exercise them and not to discourage others.
70. The candidates of borderline level may be given task of different complexities depending upon the type of doubts the GTO wants to resolve or the type of evidence he is seeking. The shy, timid or submissive may be given a task demanding sufficient firmness to give crisp, clear, and quick directions. The impetuous, somewhat irresponsible candidate may be given a task requiring exercise of care, precision, deliberation and persistence in face of frustration. The lethargic candidates, whose ‘drive’ is queried may be given tasks requiring hard work, dash and expedition. Occasionally, one may give a task with a good deal of frustration when one wishes to be more definite about a candidate’s reaction to such a situation like in the suspect bully who may drive and blame others when under stress. The GTO must not try to break the vain, hollow or show-off candidates by allotting difficult situations to them. His approach must always be objective with a view to obtain corroborative data or resolve doubts.
71. Values
Urge for leadership but not the capacity, and vice-versa.
Aims at eliciting leadership capacity not revealed in leaderless gp.
Lesser leaders get a chance.
Strong candidates do not allow docile ones to perform.
Those who do not seek but can function at sufficiently high level when compelled, get a chance.
Planning & organizing.
Patience & persistence.
Confirmatory Series-Conclusion
72. By concentrating on the individual’s abilities outside the group, the confirmatory Series would have provided the GTO opportunities to confirm his findings and to resolve the queries raised by him at the end of the Basic Series. The GTO would have come to fairly firm conclusions about the candidates in his group. There is now the need to return to the whole group to obtain a balanced view of the candidate’s performance and to provide opportunities to function once again as a complete group in the light of the experiences each one has gained during the preceding tasks.
Final Series
Final Group Task
73. Final Group Task (FGT) is the only task in the last phase and consists of one obstacle on a similar basis as the fourth obstacle in PGT. It is a difficult and frustrating obstacle of wide entry with a large total area providing adequate scope for all members to function and requires functional ability of a higher order to find a solution. About 15 to 20 minutes are given for the task.
Final Series-Conclusion
74. In phase three, the GTO sums up impressions of both the previous phases to gain an overall picture. Here the return to group is really the ‘referring back’ to overall pattern. What looked large in the close up of phase two assumes its rightful size and significance in phase three. From the attachment or ‘intimacy’ of a close contact as in the individual tasks, the GTO returns in phase three to the distant view and its greater detachment, thus putting the overall pattern in its correct perspective.
Briefing
75. Briefing means explaining to the candidates lucidly, completely and briefly the task and the conditions under which it is to be carried out. Briefing does not merely consist of spoken words but includes other factors like tone of voice, mannerism and actions. Both, the substance of briefing and the method of briefing, condition the performance of the candidates in a group.
76. The aim of briefing therefore is:
(a) To allay undue test anxiety, inhibitions and suspicions, by making the problem clear.
(b) To create self-confidence in the candidates and, in return to win their confidence.
(c) To provide stimulus for tackling test situations by creating enthusiasm.
Important Considerations
77. Briefing if varied from group to group, will result in different types of behavior from the group as a whole and individual in particular. In order that the performances of different groups become comparable, it is necessary that briefing should be standardised. While it is possible to standardise the content of each briefing, it is difficult to lay norms for the tone of voice, mannerism and actions. It is, therefore, best to indicate what to avoid and what considerations should be kept in view so that a great measure of uniformity can be achieved. A few points to remember are:
(a) Briefing should be carried out in an informal manner slightly away, from the task so as to be free from distractions.
(b) GTO should display a natural, active, and sympathetic attitude to the group members so that he is regarded as a friend and a guide. His behavior and words should indicate a positive attitude encouraging spontaneity of action.
(c) Briefing should be done in a natural and unaffected manner. The tone of voice should not indicate lethargy, indifference or urgency. Speaking in a slow lethargic manner will not create urge or enthusiasm in the candidates to tackle the task. Indifference will make the candidates feel that the GTO himself is not interested in the work. The stress of urgency should be indicated -only by the time limit for that task because if the stimulus is varied by the tone of voice, the reaction of the group is liable to vary accordingly. The same applies to mannerism and actions. Likewise, commands and the tone of command are out of place. It is the candidate's leadership that is being tested; the leadership of GTO is taken for granted. The attitude of the GTO when briefing should, therefore, be such that no undue stress or urgency, or lack of it, is indicated to the group.
(d) The GTO should himself be free from anxiety. If he feels anxious, he would either be over elaborate or be too brief in the former case the task will look more difficult than it is, while in the latter case, the candidates may not be quite clear about the task.
(e) GTO should avoid ‘Fantasy’ brief. Candidates should not be asked to imagine situations which do not exist, e.g. contaminated areas, bottomless chasms, concealed traps etc. This not only imposes strain on the memory and imagination of candidates but also lends itself to a variety of interpretations and, therefore, does not provide standardised test conditions. It is best merely to indicate that a group is to cross a certain obstacle; that an object is to be moved from one place to another; that certain areas or things are not to be touched.
(f) As far as possible, negative point in briefing should be avoided. For example, instead of stating that the first obstacle in PGT is a simple one and the subsequent one progressively more difficult, it may be better to say that the subsequent obstacles are progressively not so easy.
(g) In order to ensure that without cramping their individual styles, the GTOs do justice to the briefing, it is desirable that briefing points should be standardised not only for the comprehensive coverage but also for logical sequence for easy assimilation by the candidates.
(h) At the end of the briefing, questions should be invited; patient hearing should be given and such questions should be answered in a pleasant manner irrespective of the nature of the question.
79. Good briefing will launch the group into action with confidence and enthusiasm. There will not be any necessity for the GTO to interfere with the working of the group unless he wants to do so purposely as the members will be quite clear about the task and the conditions under which it is to be performed.
Recording and Rank Rating
80. In the group testing technique, a group of candidates is put through a series of situational tasks of varying condition and stresses so that their reactions and interactions, to be observed through their behavior. The characteristic behavior pattern of these candidates enables the GTO to interpret and identify the personality traits.
Recording
81. For correct personality appraisal, precision, and accuracy of observation along with comprehensiveness is needed.
82. Reasons for Recording: The reasons for recording are:-
(a) The fallibility of human memory.
(b) The temptation to form early impressions.
(c) Need for faithfully recording emerging behavior patterns.
(d) Need for aid memoir.
83. What to Record: Relevant data such as actions, deeds, mannerisms, gesture's which enable the GTO to interpret and deduce personality should be recorded. What the GTO records are his observations and then interprets them to reach certain deductions.
84. How to Record: While recording, it must not be obvious that the GTO is doing anything but an occasional doodle on his worksheet.
85. It is quit possible, and is often experienced, that during a task, a candidate’s extent and level of performance changes. As a result, at the end of the task it will be possible to get a clear picture of the consistency or otherwise of the level of participation of each candidate.
Ranking and Rating
86. The practical purpose of Group Tasks is to evaluate the level of each candidate’s group effectiveness. This level may be:
(a) Relative level, i.e. in relation to the other members in the group.
(b) Absolute level i.e., in relation to the standard required in the Armed Forces.
87. The relative level of a candidate is reflected in the ranking of his group while his absolute level is indicated by rating him.
88. Ranking: To rank a group is to arrange its members in the order of their group effectiveness. For example, the ranking 28731546 will indicate that 2 was the most effective, 8 the next 6 the least effective member of this group. This ranking, however, does not indicate their absolute level. The performance of 2, even though the best in the group, may still be substandard; or, again, the contribution of 6 may be good enough to come up to an acceptable level or even beyond. Therefore, there is a need to relate a candidate’s group effectiveness with a predetermined fixed or an absolute level by rating him.
89. Rating: To rate a candidate is to express his group effective in terms of an absolute or fixed standard. It is expressed in terms of four point rating of good, adequate, borderline or inadequate (GABI). By observing performance of a group and its members on a task, it is possible to rank and rate them through rank rating. After ranking the candidates, they are divided into four categories by inserting two dots and a stroke (../) between the figures. The following examples are illustrative of this system.
(a) .2873/1543 indicates that 2, 8,7 and 3 were borderline in that order and the rest inadequate. No performance was good or even adequate, the best merely a borderline. The group was very mediocre.
(b) 287.31/546 indicates that 2, 8, and 7 were adequate, 3 and 1 borderline and the rest inadequate. The group was, therefore, a reasonably good one.
(c) 28.73.15/46 would indicate an excellent group.
90. Rank-rating in terms of three point rating, i.e. adequate, borderline and inadequate (ABI) is enough for the Basic Series as further detailed sifting on the higher side of adequate is generally difficult at this stage. It is only during the confirmatory series that GTO is able to separate good from the adequate and use GABI rank- rating.
91. Rank-rating should be done after each group task and at the end of each phase of test battery i.e. Basic, Confirmatory and Final. Rank-rating of group members on their performance on individual task like individual obstacles, lecturettes or even combined rank rating of half group task is not warranted. The test situations are not identical nor is the common operation of group dynamics. The overall rank-rating done at the end of Confirmatory Series, really reflects the rank-rating of the Basic plus Confirmatory Series and that at the end of the entire test battery reflects the rank-rating of Basic plus Confirmatory plus the Final Series.
92. Values: The rank rating will simultaneously indicate:
(a) The relative level of each candidate.
(b) The absolute level of each candidate.
(c) The-quality or collective level of the group in whose context a candidate has been tested.
(d) The borderline or query candidates who require more detailed specific probing.
(e) Compare a candidate’s performance between different tasks or fields of activity.
(f) Compare a candidate’s performance between different phases of tasks.
(g) Provides a communicable and recordable formula to observer.
(h) Helps the GTO to dissociate the collective level of the group from individual levels of its members so that the fallacy in a carry over of ‘halo; or ‘horn’ from the group to its members is avoided in arriving at the correct judgment about each candidate.
Rating Scale Ticking and Marking
93. Rating means indicating the range of suitability of a person for the job. The basis of a rating scale is job-performance. A detailed job analysis, indicate the job requirements and a list of essential qualities and traits is made. A scale is then designed to indicate the range of accessibility. The combination of quality wise list and the scale of measurement is termed, the rating Scale.
94. The ten-point rating scale has been adopted at the Service Selection Boards since it facilitates wider dispersion and finer discrimination near the end zone of the scale. It also prevents concentration at mid-point being an even number rating scale.
Uses of Rating Scale
95. The uses of rating scale are:
(a) Rating scale serves as a guide to the assessor, by identifying specific areas of assessment and helps him to arrive at more objective evaluation.
(b) It helps training academies to locate weak areas of a cadet during different phase of training, so that special effort could be put in for improvement of those aspects.
(c) It is an aid to the commanding officer in forwarding follow up reports on young officers.
(d) It helps in the standardization of the assessment of various assessors.
(e) It helps in conducting comparative study of the improvement of the cadet term-wise, phase wise and after commissioning.
Marking the Rating Scale
96. Each quality has a ten point scale shown against it on the ratings scale. The ten points are.
Outstanding Well Above Just High Low Just Below Well Poor
Above Average Above Average Average Below Average Below
Average Average Average Average
O WAA AA JAA HA LA JBA BA WBA P
1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Marks
202 180 157 135 112 90 67 45 22 0
to to to to to to to to to to
225 201 179 156 134 111 89 66 44 21
96. The extreme lest-hand point of the scale indicates the presence of a quality to the full extent and extreme right-hand point would indicate that the candidate is poor in that quality.
Values to the Rating Scale of the GTO
97. The value of rating scale to the GTO is as given below:
(a) To clarify the qualities and skills which the group testing officer is looking for in the candidates.
(b) Gives a yard-stick of particular abilities and skills required of an individual in the job that he is going to do in the Armed Forces.
(c) Provides the quality profile of an individual indicating his strong points as well his weaknesses.
Common Errors in Rating
98. The use of rating scale rests on the assumption that the human observer is capable of reasonable degree of precision and objectivity. Nevertheless wherever judgement involving human beings is concerned, errors are likely. It is therefore desirable to be ever alert to the weaknesses involved and to the many sources of personal biases. The common errors are:
(a) The error of leniency: It has been statistically proved that raters tend to rate those whom they know well, higher than they should. Conscious of this failing some raters lean over backwards and as a result rate individuals lower than they should.
(b) The error of contrast: Some raters have a tendency to rate others on a trait in the opposite direction from themselves, for example, an assessor with high stamina may tend to rate others low in it.
(c) Error of central tendency: Raters hesitate to give extreme judgements on a ratings scale. Hardly ever a candidate is assessed at level one or at level ten. Rates also hesitate to give bold judgements to indicate comparative performances. As a result, they tend to displace individuals in the direction of the mean of the total group. For example, the tickings of rating scales on grades two, three and four are not sufficient in number as is otherwise expected in a normal distribution.
(d) Halo effect: It means ‘a general impression’ created in the minds of assessors that colours their judgement on very many different qualities. A superficial attribute like the manner of talk or bearing may set up a halo which may cause the assessor to rate the candidate fairly high in very many other qualities. Similarly a bad behaviour of the candidate may cause a horn or negative halo which leads the assessors to rate the candidate poorly in other qualities.
(e) Logical error: Assessors are likely to give similar ratings for traits that seem logically related in the minds of raters, e.g. social adaptability and cooperation.
(f) Contagious bias: This is due to the attitude of the observer, his personal, likes, dislikes, preferences and prejudices which tend to affect the rating.
Ticking of the Rating Scale
99. Since rating means indicting the range of suitability of a person for job performance. The assessor must know the job requirement. Keeping the job requirement in mind he sets the range of OLQ in terms of qualities analysis and the rating scale for quantitative measurement. The GTO must ask himself the following questions before ticking the scale:
(a) What is the index i.e. what is to be assessed.
(b) How much index i.e. yard stick or scale.
Marketing of Rating Scale
100. The ten point rating presently being used for award of marks is as given below:-
Outstanding WAA AA JAA HA
225-202 201-180 179-157 156-135 134-112
LA JBA BA WBA POOR
111-90 89-67 66-45 44-22 21-0
Potentiality and Trainability
101. The Services Selection Boards have to decide only one question and that is whether the candidate will reach the standard required of an officer in the Armed Forces after the prescribed period f training. This question cannot be fully considered without taking into account the potentiality and the trainability of candidate and also the qualities that can be developed during training.
Potentiality
102. The candidate has not developed enough in some qualities at the selection stage but he would be capable of developing them during the training period or with age and experience. Therefore, it means that the candidate has these qualities but they are not fully developed. To determine this, therefore, it is essential that we look at the candidate's achievements and development of personality trends from two points of view –
(a) The facilities that the candidate has had previously to develop these qualities.
(b) The degree of development of these qualities at the moment.
Trainability
103. Candidate's ability to assimilate training and acquire or the quality traits that are refined in Training Institutions. The motivation and the receptivity of the individual would largely determine the trainability.
104. Factors of Trainability:
(a) OIR: Candidates having higher, Intellectual level have a higher training potential and better ability to learn from experience.
(b) Socio Economic Background: Candidates with relatively lower social economic background are likely to progress during training at a faster rate than the others. This would be possible as at the training institution they would encounter much better environment for development of the potential abilities than has been affected to them, by their restricted home and School background.
(c) Insight: Candidates with a better insight into their capability and drawbacks have a higher training potential.
(d) Motivation: A heightened state of motivation to do well in general and specifically in the entrusted job is conductive to better and faster learning.
(e) Age: Candidates at younger age level are more mouldable and would respond better to training aimed at developing their abilities, attributes and attitudes.
(f) Duration of Training: The longer the duration of training the better are the prospects of the candidate to benefit and show progress.
(g) Present level: The award of trainability will also be proportionate the manifest performance at the SSB. Lower the present level lower the trainability and Vice- Versa.
Vitiating Factors in Candidates Performance in SSB’s
105. At times the manifest performance of a candidate may not be an accurate index of his level. There are various reasons that could vitiate the performance of a candidate some of these could be:
(a) Socio economic and educational background which may have prevented the candidate from adjusting adequately to the test situation.
(b) Peculiar group compositions and interactions therein.
(c) Limitations of the technique and may be even of the assessor himself if he does not apply the technique as well as he should.
(d) Limitations of the candidate
(e) Age, as it restricts the behaviour adjustment.
Report Writing
Report writing is the finalisation of the GTO’s observation, interpretation and evaluation of a candidate’s suitability to become a commissioned officer. The report is not quality wise assessment of a candidate, but a pen picture indicating his total group effectiveness. It is a document which contains an assessment in precise terms and becomes a permanent record for further reference.
106. Contents of the Report:
(a) A moving picture of a live personality described in the context of the group.
(b) It should give a true picture of his total group effectiveness.
(c) Every assessment be in relation to group relation.
107. The candidate’s reactions to the group situations and what the group collectively thought of him is more indicative of his ability the impression created on the GTO by him. It is his impact over the group that gives correct measure of his group effectiveness.
108. The candidate must be viewed from all angles i.e. his present developed qualities as also his inadequacies and defects and the extent to which he will improve with training.
Report Language
109. The language used in the report must be free from technical jargon and should be clear and precise. Some of the common faults are illustreted below:
Contradiction of Statements
Ambiguity.
Unduly long and involved sentences.
Absence of Logical Sequence.
Constant use of hackneyed expression.
Overwriting for effect.
Pdding to cover up poverty of ideas.
Grammatical errors.
From of the Rport
110. A report should bring out the factual patterns of behaviour of the candidate, in the various test situations, to complete the true picture and to draw valid interpretation leading to the personality profile of the candidate. The report should be divided into three parts, the first two dealing with the factual and the third with the interpretations of those factual. The layout of the report should, therefore, be as follows:
(a) Factual data on the candidate’s performance in the indoor series of tasks bringing out the extent of his group effectiveness and clarifying whether his effectiveness, or limitation to it, have been due to functional, group- cohesive or stability factor
(b) Factual data in a similar manner on the candidate’s performance on outdoor series of tasks.
(c) An introduction of the candidate and interpretations out of the factual paragraphs to bring out personality profile summary covering all the factor, assessment, evaluation and recommendations.
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Group and its Implications
111. Groups are mechanism for achieving individual satisfaction through interaction (Gibbs-1954).
112. Therefore, the constituent members in a collection of individuals have to bear an explicit psychological relationship with one another. For purpose of group testing, the group should reveal the characteristics as under:-
(a) It should be a collection of individuals in close proximity to one another.
(b) It should accept common task the aim of the group as their own, in which the problems are share by individuals and each individual is concerned not only for himself but for others.
(c) As result of (b) above, they would be interdependent in their activities.
(d) The members should interact, primarily, through oral communication directly so that each individual is aware of others.
(e) The group should be of a small size.
113. As the appraisal of an individuals’ personality pattern through the group testing technique requires the observations and interpretations of behaviour patterns, it becomes necessary to develop an ‘experimental group’ from an amorphous collection of individuals in a comparatively short time.
114. To understand one’s behaviour assessor must understand the tensions and relationship and forces within these group. Theoretically it is impossible to learn all we need by understanding the individual only. The complexity is caused by the fact that the members of any group are in dynamic relationship with one another. The behaviour of each one affects all the others. These effects rebound on the original members who in turn, influence all others anew and this complex takes place simultaneously amongst all members.
Determinates of Group Size
115. The actual size of group is determined by external factor e.g. the number that a group testing officer can observe and assess and by internal factor such as functional effectiveness. For certain functions the group must be small while for other it must be large. From the practical point of view, therefore, the optimum size for group situational should be eight members in a group with six members as the minimum size of the group and ten the maximum.
Interpersonal relations
116. Interpersonal relations are those aspects of interaction that effect the way each individual reacts to the other individual in a group as a person. Dimensions which give rise to a variety of behaviour.
(a) Like-dislike Dimension: In a situation of free choice, we may seek out one and avoid the other. We like one and do not like the other. In any combined activity, we may join hands with one another keeping our own reservations to ourselves and doing our best to complete the given task in the company of others, some whom we may not like, without disrupting the harmony of the group. The effectiveness of relations is judged by one’s ability to bring about unity, concord social understanding among individuals, and removing feeling of insecurity from general atmosphere and generating greater co-operation among members.
(b) Social sensitivity Dimension: Some persons are more sensitive than others in at least two ways. They are more sensitive to the ways, in which another individual is reacting and they are more sensitive to what is appropriate in a particular situation. The awareness of others reactions and of the situation is termed ‘social’ sensitivity. The ‘socially sensitive’ person may
(i) Manifest modesty and humility.
(ii) Choose his words.
(iii) Avoid criticism.
(iv) Be tactful and kind.
(c) The Threat Dimension: Another crucial aspect of interpersonal relation is the extent to which an individual considers every other person in the group as a threat to his ego, self-respect, position in the group or esteem in the eyes of the others. Threat makes a person
(i) More careful.
(ii) Reduces his contribution.
Co-operation and competitive Dimension: Closely related to the problem of threat is the dimension of co-operation and competition . A greater percentage of encouraging or rewarding remarks are made in co-operative group and significantly aggressive remarks in competitive groups. This results in
Friendliness.
(ii) Attentiveness.
Mutual cooperation.
Perception of favorable effects.
Coordination of efforts.
Intra Group Relation: Groups are not usually homogenous within but are characteristically divided into sub parts. They are
Dominant and submissive.
Sub groups or cliques.
Group Problems
117. A group has may problems of maintenance and “growth” to keep it in and effective state. These are:-
(a) Conflict or fight
(i) Means
(aa) Disagreement.
(ab) Hostility.
(ac) Tension.
(ad) Status of conflict.
(ii) Cause
(aa) Impossible condition of work.
(ab) Ambiguities of explanation.
(b) Apathy and non-participation.
(i) Means
(aa) Complete indifference.
(ab) Evidence of marked boredom.
(ac) Lack of enthusiasion.
(ii) Cause
(aa) Problem not important.
(ab) Non methodical way of working.
(ac) Poor communication.
(ad) Prolonged fight.
(c) Inadequate decision making
(i) Fear of consequences.
(ii) Conflict of loyalties.
(iii) Interpersonal conflict.
GTO’s Attitude
118. Effective application of the technique needs ‘Finesse’. It comes by experience and correct understanding and approach to the following essential ingredients:-
(a) Test technique: This consists of briefing, observation, recording, interpretation and evaluation of candidates.
(b) Presence of mind: The GTO should be quick to foresee, understand, appreciate and deal with any situation during the testing.
(c) Attitude towards other: It is important for a GTO to have the right attitude towards himself candidates, the organisation and other assessors.
119. Attitude towards Candidates: The GTO should be:-
(a) Kind, sympathetic and understanding not in assessment but in his attitude. He should be forgiving and generous when required.
(b) Non-discriminatory and benign. He should be unbiased towards caste, creed and religion of the candidate.
(c) Should avoid being extra positive so as to actually lead them or give them a pointer about the type of behaviour he approves or that he hopes to find, or a particular desired solution.
(d) Should be unassuming, unobtrusive and unostentatious. He should not show of and thrust himself on the candidates. He should not project his own personality as it is a sign of insecurity and not suited for objective evaluation of others.
(e) All actions and warning should be directed towards the group in general and not towards any individual. If praise is given it should be only when it is required to ward off frustration.
(f) GTO is like a catalytic agent to elicit spontaneous behaviour.
(g) He should have strength of character to restrain himself and let others project themselves.
(h) He should be business oriented during the tasks and not too familiar. After the tasks he should ensure detensing and sealing off when required.
(j) His interference should be purposive using discretion. Constant interference will result in lack of spontaneity. On the other hand being passive will result in lack of control and the productivity of the group will be low.
Borderliners
120. Borderliners are those candidates who fall in the twilight zone between adequate and inadequate. These candidates are either on or near the border on both sides. Their predictive level is either less, equal to or greater than the required level. In terms of rating scale they are tick VI and VII. In terms of marks from 67 to 111 as follows.
(a) Low Borderliners - 67 to 75
(b) High Borderliners - 75 to 89
(c) Cleared adequate as borderliners - 90 to 111
121. Low borderliners will have tendency towards rejection due to their doubtful nature and being low. High Borderliners could have a tendency towards acceptance, their level being higher provided there are no angularities which could affect or impair trainability. Those found cleared adequate as borderliners are given benefit of doubt. The assessor feels that in their case the present weaknesses will be over come during training and the candidate will come yup to the acceptable level.
Reasons for being a borderliner
122. There could be a number of reasons as to why a candidate is borderliners.
(a) The candidates over all socio-intellectual level.
(b) Weaknesses in the candidate. These could be limitation or angularities.
(c) Insufficient measure of the required qualities.
(d) Inconclusive evidence.
123. What the GTO should Do: Borderliners form a sizeable portion on a ten point rating scale they constitute 22+16 that is 38% of the candidates. They require careful handling, the GTO should ensure the following to improve his assessment of borderliners:-
Briefing: talk at the candidate’s level, remove anxiety and undue fears. He should encourage and create confidence amongst the candidates.
Tasks: Careful selection of GD topics and judicious distribution in HGT should be ensured. He should choose the correct CT for the candidate after due thought and deliberation.
Handling: His handling should be mature and purposive in order to extract maximum data.
Observation: It should be detailed, sustained and unbiased.
Recording: It should be unbiased and factual.
Rank rating: It should be accurate and precise in order to monitor the trend and consistency of the candidates performance.
Interpretation and evaluation: He should consider the nature of the in adequacies, how deep rooted they are, whether they are limitations or angularities and the effect of training on them.
Conference: The GTO should keep the collective level of group in mind before finally deciding. He should attend the conference with an open mind and be willing to make adjustive changes in his conference marks. As in some cases with adequate training and supervision the borderliner is likely to come up to the required standard.
Stress and Stability
124. Stress is a state of mind and body in which the situations or events produce unpleasant emotional tension or a feeling of discomfort. Stress is caused by conditions which tend to threaten an individual’s security and well being . An individual’s security and well being depend on the satisfaction of his needs. If the needs are satisfied, he feels safeguarded. If these are not satisfied, his security and well being are thwarted and he experiences stress.
Stress and Awareness
125. An individual may be aware or unaware of the stresses acting on him. Thus, A student at an examination is usually aware of the stress of the examination. An example of unconscious stress would be the daily routine of duties. Most individual ate not aware of a mild continuous stress which everyday work imposes. It is only when the individual goes on a holiday that he realizes the difference.
Symptoms of stress
126. Stress reveals itself in a variety of ways. It can be in the nature of physiological changes like alarm reactions, resistance and exhaustion. Behavioral symptoms of stress are:-
Withdrawal from a situation.
Avoiding responsibility and passing the same to others.
Conflicts and anxiety preventing effective functioning.
Aggression or rigidity in behaviour.
Vacillation and indecision.
Lack of capacity to think clearly on simple problems.
Disorganization and confusion.
Errors in simple tasks.
Forgetting to do or name things one does not normally forget
Breaking rules and resorting to shorts-cuts to reach the goal.
Tendency to cheat for small gains when things are difficult.
Justifying wrong acts or telling lies.
Nervousness; irritability, unhappiness, depression and frustration etc.
Intensity and duration of stress and its Effect
127. Intense stress of a fairly long duration will deeply penetrate the superficial crust of façade and conscious compensations and reveal the deeper strata of personality. However, the intensity and duration of the stress must be kept within the maximum tolerance limit of the individual and the group. Graduated doses of stress should be applied and yet allow the candidate to maintain his identity and ‘self concept’. Extreme application of stress must be avoided as it would require a high degree of psychological skill to ‘seal-off of disperse the after effects of the same.
128. A number of laboratory studies on individual under stress and field studies of reaction of the group to a wide variety of environmental stresses have led to the following generalization about the effects of external stresses:
In their initial impact stresses increase variability of behaviour and reduce its consistency.
Moderate external stress tends to produce some performance improvement; savers stress results in disorganized performance.
Initial response to moderate stress is shock or resistance. This is followed by recovery and even overcompensation. If the stress is extreme or continues over a longer period of time lowered performance and ultimately collapse or breakdown occurs.
Effective leadership and healthy inter-personal relations reduce the initial shock reaction and make possible a longer period of adaptation to unabated stress.
Types of stress
129. In the context of group testing, the candidate gets subjected to the following types of stress while working within the group:-
Endogenous stress: This is due to conflict, liability and frustration and is regulated in the group from within the group itself. This may be due to some disruptive members of the group or due to the demands of some of the inactive members of the group.
Exogenous stress: This is due to the difficulty of the time limit and interference by the GTO of his attitude and presence. This stress binds the group together as they fight it.
Intra- Psychic stress: This acts selectively on individual because of their desire to shine and meet the demands of the group.
Frustration reaction to stress
130. In the course of performing GTO tasks the frustration reaction of an impasse is varied according to the personality of the individual. An adequate individual will remove stress with tact from others; he will try to encourage others so as to reduce endogenous stress. He will identify roles each candidate is suitable for. Here frustration becomes a stimulant for an adequate candidate.
131. In inadequate individuals the behaviour pattern is different for different types of individuals. The anxious types become nervous. The compensatory types resort to bluffing. The depressive types blame themselves and become morose and mortified. Where as others, the projective types blame others and not themselves. Some, the hysterical type, may display hysterical behaviour.
Stress and Stability in Group Tasks
132. Group tasks provide a medium by which an individual’s functional capacity in stress can be assessed. The two main stresses in group testing are the problem stress and the social stress. Variety of tasks with a wide range of difficulty provide the problem stress and group situations, causing the participant to interact and generate social stress.
133. A will adjusted person is not the one without stress but the one who has learnt to handle the stress that he encounters. A measure of the stability of a stable person is the manner in which he copes with stresses.
Sociometric Techniques
134. While psychometric techniques provide an understanding of the individual, sociometric techniques enable us to understand the structure and functioning of groups. Since an individual spends a good deal of time and effort as a member of one group or the other, it is reasonable to hold that a deeper understanding of the individual would be achieved by a study of his interaction with other persons in the group. Sociometric techniques thus provide a reasonable understanding of the individual and the group of which he is a member.
135. A person may develop positive feelings towards some, negative feelings towards some and feelings of indifference towards some. These feelings may be modified in the light of additional experience and then become more or less stable in due course. A study of these feeling gives a lot of data for an understanding of the individuals, their interpersonal relations and the group dynamics. Sociometric techniques on the basis of above data thus provided a sensitive measure of the individual, inter-personal and group characteristics.
Conclusion
136. In order to appreciate the value of this technique one ought to understand the underlying rational that is, man is fundamentally a social being. As such whether we are studying the behaviour of a man, we are really studying the behaviour of a man as influenced by his perception of the social world. There probably exists no such being as an individual in isolation. This approach emphasizes the need to study not the static pattern of individuals, but to analyse and interpret the dynamics of inter-relationships to consider not merely a man’s conscious appreciation of a situation but total adjustment to it. This widened concept of studying personality therefore concerns itself not merely with a man as a solitary organism but as a member of a group interacting continuously with the group or groups in which he finds himself; influencing them and being influenced by them. It therefore, becomes, from study of a man in depth, a study of a man as a participating member of a social field.
130. The group testing technique therefore assesses an individual in the context of an experimental group, which is subjected to a considerable physical and mental stress. From this, one seeks to observe and evaluate an individual’s group effectiveness or in other works the sum total of an individual’s contribution to the group and to the task and to determine an individual’s ability to function in a group and based on this functional capacity, to ascertain his actual and potential level and to assess his suitability for the Armed Forces.
