Attitudes toward authority-figures as correlates of motivation among Naval Aviation Cadets

Abstract

To explore the relationship between attitudes toward authority figures and motivation, 65 "high" motivation aviation cadets (successfully completed basic flight training) and 72 "low" motivation cadets (voluntary withdrawals from flight training) completed an anonymous questionnaire calling for a sample of behavior characteristic of their "best" instructor and a sample descriptive of the "worst" instructor. 5 content categories were identified for the "best" instructor, and three for the "worst" instructor statements. Chi-square tests of the relative frequencies of responses showed the "high" motivation cadets tended to stress interpersonal relationships, while "low" motivation cadets stressed instructor competence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)