The Secondary or Psychological Phase of Training Films

Edmund North

By far the larger part of Army training films is “nuts-and-bolts” pictures. About a year ago, it was decided that while the American soldier was getting excellent training in the handling of his weapons and equipment, the mental or psychological side of his training left something to be desired. To counteract the mental stresses and battlefield psychosis common to men who go into combat for the first time, the Army Ground Force Headquarters decided, in September of 1942, that a series of films should be prepared that would serve, in a sense, as precombat conditioning. From the viewpoint of the Army, this series has been an outstanding success. These films have brought a man as close to combat as he can get without actually engaging an enemy. — The Army has pioneered in using the screen as a medium for psychological instruction and conditioning. To change a man's way of thinking and acting under stress is a difficult job, but it has been found that the screen possesses the potential ability to do so.

Print ISSN
Published
1944-02
Content type
Original Research
DOI
10.5594/J07400