ITER: A Computerized Test to Assess the Decision Making Skills. Preliminary Applications

Decision-making and planning skills are important individual qualities in the operational and organizational environment of the Antarctic stations. In order to assess these abilities in the candidates of the Italian Antarctic expeditions, especially in those having logistic and scientific responsibilities, a computerized test, called ITER, was developed. A preliminary study performed in a population of 110 normal subjects, applicants for the Antarctic expeditions, found correlations between norm referred personality measures (MMPI) and some quantitative indicators of ITER. The results show the cognitive attributes of depressive traits are related to lowest efficacy of less complex solutions; furthermore, self-criticism and uncertainty are related to mazy solving paths and to redundant behaviors with respect to goal orientation. The general description of the computerized instrument and the results of an experimentation carried out using the Intelligence Structure Test (IST) of R. Amthauer are reported here Prepared in collaboration with NDA Argentinean Antarctic Inst., Buenos Aires, Argentina and Italian Antarctic Project, Rome, Italy.