Psychological Hardiness Predicts Success in US Army Special Forces Candidates

TLDR

Special Forces require exceptionally high reliability under intense stress, where failure can be costly. The study investigates whether psychological hardiness predicts successful completion of Special Forces training. Hardiness was measured in 1,138 candidates using a short Dispositional Resilience Scale and used to forecast course success. Graduates exhibited significantly higher hardiness scores than non‑graduates, showing that hardiness predicts stress tolerance and success in demanding occupations.

Abstract

Military ‘Special Forces’ represent a high‐reliability occupation, where stress levels are often intense and failure can be costly. Selection for such jobs should pay careful attention to psychological factors associated with resiliency under stress. In the present study, US Army Special Forces candidates ( N =1138) were assessed for psychological hardiness using a short form of the Dispositional Resilience Scale, and these scores were then applied to predict successful completion of the course. Independent sample t ‐tests and logistic regression analyses confirmed that Special Forces course graduates are significantly higher in psychological hardiness, as compared to non‐graduates. Psychological hardiness appears to be an important individual characteristic associated with stress tolerance and successful performance in highly demanding occupations.