ABSTRACT
World War I particularly influenced the research and development into the field of applied psychology within the military realm and formal academia alike. Historically, aviation-oriented psychology has been a practice where industrial, clinical and vocational psychology found its application within the South African National Defence Force. The National Institute for Personnel Research (NIPR) and the test commission have played a very significant role in the development of applied psychology in general and the development, standardization and controlling of psychometric tests in South Africa over the past 40 years. During 2004, significant growth in applied aviation psychology counseling was experienced. A selection of a few pertinent case studies is incorporated here to illustrate the nature and extent of some of the clinical work carried out within the Institute. For Aviation Psychology to become a recognized discipline, it is vital to establish such specialized training at tertiary level.
