Validation of the Morale Questionnaire for Military Operational Theaters

  1. Alberto Pastor Álvarez
  2. Fernando Molero Alonso
  3. Juan Antonio Moriano León
Revista:
Acción psicológica

ISSN: 1578-908X

Año de publicación: 2019

Volumen: 16

Número: 2

Páginas: 31-42

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.5944/AP.16.2.24265 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: Acción psicológica

Resumen

Evaluar la moral de las tropas ha sido una preocupación de los líderes militares a lo largo de la historia, principalmente por el nivel de participación que este factor podría tener en la resolución de conflictos en el campo de batalla. El objetivo de esta investigación fue obtener evidencias sobre la validez de la estructura interna del cuestionario de moral utilizado por las Fuerzas Armadas Españolas en operaciones militares en el exterior. Dos submuestras de 250 soldados españoles desplegados en una misión internacional en Líbano participaron en el estudio. El cuestionario se aplicó al principio y al final de la misión. Los resultados obtenidos a través del Análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio, así como el Modelo de ecuaciones estructurales, permitieron validar el cuestionario obteniendo estadísticamente una herramienta que consta de 26 ítems, aglutinados en seis factores. Las dimensiones teóricas de la herramienta original se mantuvieron en su mayoría. Esto permitirá a las Fuerzas Armadas españolas tener un instrumento de medición confiable que facilitará predicciones específicas sobre la moral y sus consecuencias en el campo de batalla.

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Anon (2008). British Defence Doctrine. Joint Doctrine Publication 0-01.
  • Baynes, J. (1967). Morale. London, UK: Cassel.
  • Childs, S. (2016). Soldier Morale: Defending a Core Military Capability. Security Challenges, 12(2), 43–52.
  • Cox, A. (1995). Unit Cohesion and Morale in Combat: Survival in a Culturally and Racially Heterogeneous Environment [Monophraf]. Kansas, KS: School of advance military studies and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth.
  • Evonic, I. N. (1980). Motivation and Morale in Military Noncombat Organizations. In Proceedings of the NATO. Panel VIII Symposium on Motivation and Morale in NATO Forces. Brussels, Belgium. En Compendio de Psicología Militar. Madrid, Spain: Ministerio de Defensa.
  • Gal, R. & Manning, F. J. (1987). Morale and its Components: A Cross-national Comparison. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 17, 369–391. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1987.tb00319.x
  • Gal, R. (1986). A Portrait of the Israeli Soldier. London, UK: Greenwood.
  • Galindo, J. (2013). Evaluation of Military Morale in the Area of Operations and its Relationship with Adaptive Parameters. (Doctoral dissertation). University of Granada, Granada.
  • García, J. M., Gutiérrez, M. T., & Núñez, M. A. (2005). Is it Possible to Assess Morale? The Psychological Potential. An Operating Model that Tries to Explain this Complex Reality. Madrid, Spain: Instituto Universitario “Gutiérrez Mellado” (UNED).
  • García-Guiu, C. (2017). Group Cohesion and Spirit of Corps in the Security and Defense Units. Journal of Strategic Thinking and Security CISDE, 2(1), 65–77.
  • Holmes, R. (2003). Acts of War, The Behaviour of Men in Battle. London, UK: Cassell.
  • Hu, L. T. & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff Criteria for Fit Indexes in Covariance Structure Analysis: Conventional Criteria versus new Alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
  • Jones, E. (2012). Morale, Psychological Wellbeing of UK Armed Forces and Entertainment: A Report for The British Forces Foundation. King’s Centre for Military Health Research, King’s College London, January.
  • Kane, K. (2013). Morale Maintenance in World War II US Army Ground Combat Units: European Theater of Operations, 1944-45. University of Richmond, USA.
  • Lorenzo-Seva, U. & Ferrando, P. J. (2006). FACTOR: A Computer Program to Fit the Exploratory Factor Analysis Model. Behavior Research Methods, 38(1), 88–91. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03192753.
  • Lorenzo-Seva, U. (2013). Why Rotate my Data using Promin? Technical Report. Department of Psychology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona. Retrieved from http://psico.fcep.urv.es/utilitats/factor/Documentation.html
  • MacCurdy, J. T. (1943). The Structure of Morale. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
  • Manning, F. (1994). Morale and Cohesion in Military Units. In F. D. Jones, L. R. Sparacino, V. L. Wilcox, & J. M. Rothberg (Ed.), Military Psychiatry: Preparing in peace for war. USA: Department of the Army.
  • Mental Health Assessment Team. (2006). Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07, Final Report. Washington DC: Office of the Surgeon General.
  • Mental Health Assessment Team. (2008). Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08, Operation Enduring Freedom 8, Afghanistan, Final Report. Washington DC: Office of the Surgeon General.
  • Motowidlo, S. J. & Borman, W. C. (1978). Relationships between Military Morale, Motivation, Satisfaction, and unit Effectiveness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 63, 47–52. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.63.1.47
  • Munson, E. L. (1921). The Management of Men. New York, NY: Holt.
  • Núñez, M.A. (1994). CEPPU. Guide for the Application and Interpretation of the Questionnaire. Madrid, Spain: Ministry of Defense Psychology Unit.
  • Richardson, F. M. (1978). Fighting Spirit. London, UK: Leo Cooper.
  • Shibutani, T.I. (1978). The Derelicts of Company K: A Sociological Study of Demoralization. Berkeley, CA: California Press.
  • Slim, W. (1956). Defeat into Victory. London, UK: Cassell & Company.
  • Smith, K. R. (1985). Understanding Morale: With Special Reference to the Morale of the Australian Infantryman in Vietnam. Defence Force Journal, 52, 53-62.
  • Sparrow, J. H. (1949). Second World War 1939-1945 Army, Morale. London, UK: The War Office.
  • Stewart, N. K. (1994). Military Cohesion. In L. Freedman (Ed.), War (p. 148). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
  • Tolstoy, L. (1904). War and Peace (Trad. G. C. Garnett). New York: McClure, Phillips.
  • Trujillo, H. M. & Piñeira, L. (2005). Unit Morale Profile Questionnaire (CPMU) [Not published]. Granada, Spain: Direction of Investigation and Analysis for Combat (Command of Training and Doctrine of the Army).
  • US Department of the Army (1983). Field Manual on Leadership. Washington, DC: GPO Stock No. 466– 680.
  • Vaughn, T. (1982). Morale: The Tenth Principle of War?. US Army War College, June.