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Stress Adjustment as a Criterion for Hiring in High-Risk Jobs

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The Palgrave Handbook of Occupational Stress

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Abstract

Occupational stress generates negative outcomes for both individuals and the economic performance of organizations (Dejours, La souffrance en France: la banalisation de l’injustice sociale. Seuil, 1998). More specifically, high-risk jobs require increased resistance to stress (Rivolier, Facteurs humains et situations extrêmes. Editions Masson, 1992). Thus, stress assessment before hiring regarding specific jobs of within the French Air Force (FAF) is critical. Firstly, we describe specificity of occupational stress in high-risk jobs, “the factors in the individual’s work conditions and domestic situation that cause stress” (Green et al., Human factors for pilots (2nd ed.). Ashgate, 1996, p. 67) according to literature review (e.g., Dismukes et al., Flight crew errors in challenging and stressful situations. Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors, 8(1), 35–46. https://doi.org/10.1027/2192-0923/a000129, 2018; Picano & Roland, Assessing psychological suitability for high-risk military jobs. In J. H. Laurence & M. D. Matthews (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of military psychology (pp. 148–157). Oxford University Press, 2012) and job analyses (e.g., Martin et al., La charge mentale de travail: un concept qui reste indispensable, l’exemple de l’aéronautique. Le travail humain, 76(4), 285–308, 2013; Duvillard-Monternier et al., L’évaluation dynamique des opérateurs de systèmes de drones de l’armée de l’air. In S. Mazoyer, J. de Lespinois, E. Goffi, G. Boutherin, & C. Pajon (dir.), Les drones aériens: passé, présent et avenir. Approche globale (pp. 183–202). La documentation française, 2013, p. 201; Dubey & Moricot, Dans la peau d’un pilote de chasse: le spleen de l’homme machine. Presses universitaire de France, 2016, p. 34). Secondly, we give a description of the advantages and limits of different protocols such as (1) simulated situations or group tests in stress conditions (Borteyrou et al., Construction et validation d’une épreuve de groupe élaborée dans le cadre d’un assessment center pour les officiers de la marine. Orientation scolaire et professionnelle, 35(4). 535–554, https://doi.org/10.4000/osp.1190, 2006), (2) psychological inventories as a support tool (e.g., Congard et al., Assessing the structural and psychometric properties of the new personality measure for use with military personnel in the French armed forces. Military Psychology, 24(3), 285–307, 2012), and (3) several types of interviews. The assessment protocols are designed to gather clusters of evidence so as to evaluate emotional stability, emotional regulation and the adjustment to stress. They also permit investigation of applicants’ strengths and weaknesses about regarding coping skills. Finally, these latter factors are discussed, in order to value the overall efficiency, in the interests of both applicants and the military institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’études et de recherches psychologiques air (CERP’Air; French Air Force Psychological Studies & Researches Centre), Paris, France

    Frédéric Choisay, Ghislain Champeaux, Alexandre Rey & Jean-Louis Dubert

  2. University of Tours, Tours, France

    Frédéric Choisay

  3. Crew Resource Management, The Armed Forces Biomedical Institute (Institut de Recherches Biomédicales des Armées—IRBA), Brétigny-sur-Orge, France

    Solange Duvillard-Monternier

  4. Institut National d’Etudes du Travail et d’Orientation Professionnelle (INETOP; National Institute for Job Studies and Career Guidance), Paris, France

    Vanessa Fournier

Authors
  1. Frédéric Choisay
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  2. Solange Duvillard-Monternier
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  3. Vanessa Fournier
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  4. Ghislain Champeaux
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  5. Alexandre Rey
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  6. Jean-Louis Dubert
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Solange Duvillard-Monternier .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. SEBE-Lab, Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK

    Philippe Fauquet-Alekhine

  2. London Hertfordshire Therapy Centre, St George’s University of London, London, UK

    James Erskine

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Choisay, F., Duvillard-Monternier, S., Fournier, V., Champeaux, G., Rey, A., Dubert, JL. (2023). Stress Adjustment as a Criterion for Hiring in High-Risk Jobs. In: Fauquet-Alekhine, P., Erskine, J. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Occupational Stress. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27349-0_16

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