ROLE OF ABILITY AND PRIOR JOB KNOWLEDGE IN COMPLEX TRAINING PERFORMANCE

A causal model of the role of general cognitive ability and prior job knowledge in subsequent job-knowledge acquisition and work-sample perf ormance during training was developed. Participants were 3,428 U.S. Ai r Force officers in pilot training. The measures of ability and prior job knowledge came from the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test. The mea sures of job knowledge acquired during training were derived from clas sroom grades. Work-sample measures came from check flight ratings. The causal model showed that ability directly influenced the acquisition of job knowledge. General cognitive ability influenced work samples th rough job knowledge. Prior job knowledge had almost no influence on su bsequent job knowledge but directly influenced the early work sample. Early training job knowledge influenced subsequent job knowledge and w ork-sample performance. Finally, early work-sample performance strongl y influenced subsequent work-sample performance.