science

Old sergeant's syndrome

Old sergeant's syndrome is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Old sergeant's syndrome rather than just read about it. In short: The term old sergeant's syndrome is used to describe symptoms of psychological disturbance exhibited by officers in military units that suffer heavy casualties. It is most common in cohesive military squads that have strong interpersonal relationships among officers.

Key takeaways

Old sergeant's syndrome belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Old sergeant's syndrome to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Old sergeant's syndrome from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The term old sergeant's syndrome is used to describe symptoms of psychological disturbance exhibited by officers in military units that suffer heavy casualties. It is most common in cohesive military squads that have strong interpersonal relationships among officers. The term was first introduced in a study published by Sobel in 1947. Sobel described soldiers who were "burnt out" and "worn out." These soldiers were previously highly dedicated and very efficient. However, after prolonged, continuous exposure to combat, they began to exhibit negative psychological symptoms such as difficulty making decisions, being reluctant to accept responsibility for others, and preferring routine, simple tasks over more challenging ones. More serious symptoms included a loss of self-confidence, anxiety, depression and a tendency to make self-deprecatory remarks. They also had difficulty making friends and were reluctant to interact with new recruits. According to Sobel, the soldiers’ ability to carry out their duties deteriorated to the point that they became a handicap to their units, but their motivation to carry out the assigned mission remained strong. Ninety percent of men that developed this type of battle reaction were infantry foot soldiers. These men were either original members of the division or had been with it for extended periods of time, with an average overseas service of 23 months. Hence, they were the last "old men" in their platoon or company. The cohesiveness of the unit likely initially provided psychological support for the individual. However, the loss of comrades during battle causes severe distress. When the unit is reinforced with replacements, many soldiers are reluctant to establish emotional ties with the newcomers, mainly in fear of the pain they recently experienced. As a result, they become isolated from the group. In many respects, old sergeant's syndrome is similar to the phenomenon of burnout as the term has since evolved in the civilian literature.

See also Post-traumatic stress disorder after World War II

References

Additional reading Horwitz, Tony. "Did Civil War Soldiers Have PTSD?". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 17 April 2020. "Medicine: Old Sergeant Syndrome". Time. 13 February 1950. ISSN 0040-781X.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Old sergeant's syndrome

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Old sergeant's syndrome claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Old sergeant's syndrome before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Old sergeant's syndrome ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Old sergeant's syndrome

In research: Old sergeant's syndrome appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Old sergeant's syndrome in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Old sergeant's syndrome is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Military psychology, Post-traumatic stress disorder, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Old sergeant's syndrome outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Old sergeant's syndrome in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Old sergeant's syndrome means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Old sergeant's syndrome out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Old sergeant's syndrome in simple terms?

Why does Old sergeant's syndrome matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Old sergeant's syndrome?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Old sergeant's syndrome.