In Search of Military Genius

Clausewitz's concept of "military genius" was operationalized and tested. Twenty subjects selected from a pool of 75 Air Command and Staff College students competing to participate in the air component of the 1997 Prairie Warrior exercise were compared to those not selected. Sternberg's Tacit Knowledge Inventory (TKIM) representing "military intellect" and Seligman's Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) measuring "determination" were the primary instruments used in the study. Chi Square and MANOVA analyses indicate that the two student groups did not differ on demographic, Myers-Briggs Type data, the ASQ or the TKIM. However, significant differences were found between a comparison sample of senior military officers and the student groups on the TKIM. Similarly, trends in the expected direction were found on the ASQ. Restriction of range may have limited statistical power in the study.