Arctic Interest Form (AIF)

Abstract

The Arctic Interest Form (AIF), developed by Wright, Sisler, and Chylinski in 1963, is a brief, 14-item psychological instrument designed to quantify an individual’s interest in northern regions. The scale focuses on assessing attitudes related to various aspects of isolated northern living, including prospective jobs, travel opportunities, local sports, and community engagement in these environments. The primary objective of the AIF’s development was to identify specific personality traits and motivational factors hypothesized to correlate with positive adjustment and success in remote Arctic settings. The instrument is structured into three main components: seven items assessing general interest in the North, five items covering sports and travel preferences, and two items related to the examinee’s previous community size. Notably, the original study did not provide detailed psychometric properties, such as reliability or validity data, for the AIF.

Keywords

Arctic Interest Form, AIF, Attitudes toward the North, Personnel Placement, Isolated Living, Test Construction, Employee Attitudes, Personality Correlates, Person Environment Fit, Measurement

Authors

Wright, Morgan W., Sisler, George C., Chylinski, Joanne

Purpose

The fundamental purpose of the Arctic Interest Form (AIF) is to facilitate informed decisions within personnel selection processes, specifically targeting candidates applying for roles requiring relocation to isolated northern communities. The developers intended the AIF to serve as a pre-screening tool to evaluate a candidate’s underlying interest and attitudinal compatibility with the demanding conditions of Arctic environments. By measuring positive attitudes toward the northern lifestyle—encompassing work, leisure, and social integration—the scale aims to predict the likelihood of successful personal and professional adjustment in these remote postings. This application places the AIF squarely within the domain of assessing person-environment fit for specialized occupational settings.

Construct

The psychological construct primarily measured by the AIF is Attitudes toward the Arctic or Attitudes toward the North. This construct is viewed not as a measure of skill or intelligence, but rather as an indicator of motivational alignment and emotional preparedness for isolated living. The 14 items operationalize this construct by exploring four key domains of interest:

• Interest in the North: Seven items focusing on general curiosity, desire to visit, and attraction to the region.
• Sports and Travel: Five items gauging enthusiasm for activities relevant to northern climates, such as winter sports and remote travel.
• Community Background: Two items assessing the size of the community where the respondent previously lived, which is hypothesized to influence adaptation to smaller, isolated settlements.

The scale assumes that a higher score reflects stronger positive interest and, consequently, a higher potential for successful adjustment in challenging, remote locations.

Validity

Information regarding the validity of the Arctic Interest Form was not documented or provided in the original 1963 research publication by Wright, Sisler, and Chylinski. Therefore, the extent to which the AIF accurately measures the intended construct (Attitudes toward the Arctic) or effectively predicts the criterion (successful adjustment in northern living) remains empirically unestablished based on the initial development phase. Further research or subsequent validation studies would be required to establish various forms of validity, such as criterion-related validity or construct validity, before widespread application in critical contexts like personnel selection is fully justified.

Reliability

Similar to validity, detailed data concerning the reliability of the AIF were not reported in the 1963 documentation. Reliability refers to the consistency and stability of the measurement results. Without internal consistency measures (e.g., coefficient alpha) or test-retest reliability data, it is impossible to determine the degree to which the 14 items consistently measure the underlying construct or whether scores are stable over time. This absence of core psychometric data is a significant limitation of the original instrument.

Factor Analysis

No formal factor analysis was indicated or published in conjunction with the initial release of the Arctic Interest Form. While the developers conceptually divided the 14 items into three sub-domains (interest in the North, sports/travel, and community size), the underlying structure of the scale was not empirically confirmed using techniques such as exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis. Consequently, the distinctiveness and independence of the hypothesized sub-scales cannot be verified solely based on the original source material.

Instrument

Test Type: Rating Scale (Self-report questionnaire)

Format: Paper (Original administration method)

Language Available: English (Assumed based on authors and context)

Population Group: Human

Age Group: Adults (Implied, given the use in employee selection)

Population Details: The initial sample population consisted of Electronic Technicians located in Canada, reflecting the scale’s purpose within occupational assessment for specialized northern postings.

Test Methodology: The AIF is a short, 14-item instrument classified under the broad category of assessing Attitudes, Interests, Values, and Expectancies. It utilizes structured questions intended to elicit specific responses regarding affinity for northern living and related activities.

Keywords

Arctic, Northern Regions, Isolated Adjustment, Employee Selection, Personality traits, Vocational Interest, Attitudes, Person-Environment Fit, Rating Scale

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in the source documentation.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in the source documentation. Original affiliation was the University of Manitoba.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in the source documentation.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Arctic Interest Form was developed and published in 1963. Given its origin as an academic research instrument from the University of Manitoba, specific information regarding formal commercial permissions or associated fees for its use is not detailed in the original reference. It is generally assumed that, due to its age and academic context, the instrument may be available for non-commercial research purposes, though formal rights should be investigated if commercial application is intended.

Reference’s

• Wright, M. W., Sisler, G. C., & Chylinski, J. (1963). Arctic Interest Form.

Items of the Arctic Interest Form (AIF)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

• Is the north an area which you have always wanted to visit?
• Do you like winter sports?