| This study investigated relationships between persistence in basic emergency medical technician (EMT) training and (a) cognitive hardiness, a personality constellation that purportedly consists of commitment, control, and challenge components, (b) expectations of EMT training, (c) expectations of the EMT job, (d) met expectations of training, and (e) anticipated met expectations of the job.; At the beginning of a 14-week basic training program, 58 EMT cadets each filled out a Hardiness Scale, as well a questionnaire that assessed expectations of training and of the subsequent job. After four weeks, 49 remaining cadets each filled out a questionnaire that assessed met expectations of training and anticipated met expectations of the job. It was hypothesized that graduates would have lower expectations of training, as well as higher job expectations, greater met expectations of training, and higher commitment, control, challenge, and overall hardiness. Graduates and non-graduates were not expected to differ with regard to anticipated met job expectations.; Forty-seven percent of cadets graduated. T-tests between graduates and non-graduates revealed no significant differences on hardiness component or composite scores, initial expectation indices, met expectation indices, or anticipated met expectation indices. No evidence supporting the usefulness of measures of cognitive hardiness, initial expectations, or met/anticipated met expectations for predicting persistence in EMT training was found.; Limitations included a small sample size and marginal internal consistency of expectation indices and hardiness scores. Additionally twelve of the 31 non-graduates failed an emergency vehicle operations test; this suggests that the training program was not an optimal setting for studying effects of expectations and personality characteristics.; Post-hoc analysis revealed that no-graduates were less educated, less certain about career choice, and they expected poorer performance in training, as well as greater danger, stress, and criticism on the job. Furthermore, higher training and job expectations were later perceived as exceeded, neutral expectations were perceived as met, and lower expectations were perceived as unmet. |
