Arctic Interest Form

Abstract

The Arctic Interest Form (AIF) is a specialized 14-item questionnaire developed in 1963 by Wright, Sisler, and Chylinski at the University of Manitoba. Designed primarily as a tool for personnel selection, the AIF was created to assess the degree of interest individuals held regarding jobs, travel, sports, and community life specifically within isolated northern regions. Its development was contextualized within a broader study examining the personality characteristics necessary for successful adaptation to challenging northern environments. The scale is structured to measure attitudes toward the Arctic across three main domains: direct interest in the North (7 items), engagement in sports and travel (5 items), and background related to previous community size (2 items). Responses are captured using a simple dichotomous (yes/no) format. It is important to note that the original development article does not contain any formal psychometric information regarding the scale’s reliability or validity.

Keywords

Arctic Interest Form, Employee Attitudes, Test Development, Personality Factors, Adjustment, Person-Environment Fit, Personnel Placement, Attitudes toward the North.

Authors

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

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Arctic Interest Form is to quantitatively measure an individual’s level of interest and positive orientation toward the unique living and working conditions found in northern regions. This measurement was intended to serve as a screening mechanism, helping researchers and organizations identify those prospective employees who possessed pre-existing inclinations or attitudes that might facilitate better adjustment to isolated northern stations.

The scale was explicitly utilized within the context of personnel selection for civilian assignments in Canada. By assessing interest in specific dimensions—such as work, travel, and engagement in community activities—the developers aimed to predict potential longevity and success in remote assignments, thereby reducing turnover rates associated with poor adjustment.

Construct

The central psychological construct measured by the AIF is the Attitude toward the Arctic, which encompasses a broader concept of Attitudes toward the North. This construct is operationalized as a composite measure of behavioral inclination and emotional orientation toward life in high-latitude, often resource-scarce, environments.

The 14 items attempt to capture elements of Person-Environment Fit by probing specific interests that align with the required lifestyle, including tolerance for isolation, enjoyment of winter activities, and previous experience with smaller or remote communities. The scale thus aims to quantify an individual’s psychological preparedness for the demands of the Arctic environment.

Validity

Based on the foundational publication by Wright, Sisler, and Chylinski (1963), no formal validity information or studies are reported for the Arctic Interest Form. The original article focused primarily on the rationale for the scale’s development and its application within a specific sample of Electronic Technicians being considered for northern assignments.

Consequently, information regarding construct validity, criterion validity, or content validity—beyond the face validity derived from the item selection process—is absent from the initial documentation. Researchers utilizing the AIF must exercise caution, recognizing that the measure lacks established empirical validation metrics commonly required for robust psychological tests.

Reliability

The development article for the Arctic Interest Form does not provide any statistics concerning the reliability of the measure. Standard reliability metrics, such as internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) or test-retest reliability, were not calculated or reported by the authors in 1963.

The lack of reported reliability data means that the consistency and stability of the scores derived from the AIF remain unknown. Further research would be required to establish whether the scale consistently measures the construct of Arctic interest across different administrations or within the same population over time.

Factor Analysis

No formal factor analysis was conducted or reported in the original research outlining the development of the Arctic Interest Form. The scale’s structure—which divides the 14 items into three content domains (Arctic interest, sports/travel, community size)—appears to be based on theoretical or logical grouping rather than empirical verification of underlying latent factors.

Therefore, the dimensionality of the AIF, and whether the three proposed content areas represent distinct or highly correlated factors, has not been established through statistical methods.

Instrument

Test Type: Questionnaire

Format: Responses are provided using a dichotomous (yes/no) format, administered via paper.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human

Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older)

Population Details: The initial sample consisted of Electronic Technicians located in Canada.

Test Methodology: Test Construction (Developed as part of a study on adjustment and personnel selection).

Keywords

Attitude measurement, Northern regions, Isolated stations, Job interest, Psychological assessment, Psychometric information (absent), Canadian personnel.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not available.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not available (Affiliation: University of Manitoba).

Correspondence Address: Not available.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and published in 1963. Information regarding current usage permissions or associated fees is not provided in the original publication and must be sought from the journal publisher or the authors’ affiliated institution (University of Manitoba).

The test items are available in the published article, indicating that the instrument is accessible for research purposes, though specific licensing terms may apply for commercial or clinical use.

Reference’s

The foundational reference for the Arctic Interest Form is:

• Wright, M. W., Sisler, G. C., & Chylinski, J. (1963). Personality factors in the selection of civilians for isolated northern stations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 47(1), 24–29. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0042053

Items of the Arctic Interest Form

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

Attitude toward and Interest in the North

• Do you look forward to working in the north?
• Do you know what kind of work you are going to do in the north?
• Is the north an area which you have always wanted to visit?
• Have you ever been in the north before?
• How long would you like to remain in the north?
• How long do you feel a person should remain in the north?
• Do you believe griping can be reduced by helping people out or leaving them alone?

Sports and Traveling

• Do you like to hunt and fish?
• Do you like to travel?
• Do you like winter sports?
• Do you like to get off by yourself?
• Do you or would you like extended camping trips with small groups of men?

Previous Community Size

• Size of the community in which subject grew up
• Size of the community in which subject lived prior to going north