Some Lasting Consequences of US Psychology Programs in World Wars I and II.

Applied research in psychology not only has contributed directly to societal advances but often has fostered basic research as well. Prominent examples are the programs directed by Yerkes in World War I to develop the Army Alpha test and several programs in World War II, including The American Soldier that assessed soldiers' attitudes during the war; a program for selecting agents for the Office of Strategic Services; and the Aviation Psychology Program to select and classify applicants for flight training in the Army Air Forces. Highlights of these programs are presented here, with special attention given to by far the largest, the Air Forces program. After World War II, many of the hundreds of psychologist veterans became prominent research psychologists. Most became university professors. Among those who continued to work in applied settings was John Flanagan who had served as Chief of the Army Air Forces Psychology Branch. (After the war, Saul Sells succeeded Flanagan as Head of the Aviation Psychology program.) Flanagan founded the American Institutes for Research (AIR), the earliest mission of which was to select flight personnel for civilian airlines. Another part of the AIR mission was to enhance civilian air safety by assuring the widespread use of Flanagan's critical-incident procedures (or near-accident reports) that now serve to reduce accident rates in a variety of industries as well as in aviation.