Relationship between Leadership Effectiveness, Personality, and Video Game Experience in a Military Simulation

Leadership in a military context has received a significant amount of research with findings related to leadership style (e.g., transformational vs. transactional) and the effects of training. However, less is known about what types of men and women are best suited for leader roles and how the US military should identify individuals for induction into officer programs. The present study examined how individual characteristics associated with personality and video game experience correlated with ratings of leadership effectiveness. Thirty Army ROTC cadets, in their first or second year (to limit the level of existing leadership training), completed a demographics survey and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory personality test. Next, each cadet led a 3-person team (comprised of experiment confederates) through a simulated military engagement using ARMA 3; an off-the-shelf military combat simulation. Cadets fluidly transitioned through different types of engagements with the goal of completing mission objectives. Each cadet was then rated by the three confederates and two outside raters on leader effectiveness using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Results indicated cadets scoring higher on Neuroticism or Conscientiousness had lower leadership effectiveness ratings. In addition, cadets reporting more videogame experience received higher leadership effectiveness ratings. Whereas the correlation between Neuroticism and effectiveness concurs with prior research, the relationship between Conscientiousness and effectiveness and the relationship between videogame experience is a new finding. Additional research on the relationship between videogame experience and leadership effectiveness is warranted