History

An Insightful History

The Birkman Method^® was developed in the late 1940s while Roger W. Birkman, a former WWII pilot, was working with a group of scientists at the University of Texas surveying potentially useful psychological instruments for pilot selection for the US Air Force.

Roger Birkman conceptualized, developed, and refined the Birkman as part of his Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Texas. Ultimately, Dr. Birkman believed he could create a much-needed instrument that would measure social expectations, self-concepts, interests, and stress behavior in a single assessment tool. He further believed that such an instrument would be of great value to both organizations and individuals. The original name of the Birkman assessment in 1951 was "Test of Social Comprehension".

Today, Birkman International continues to back Dr. Birkman's original insights and research with ongoing research and development of The Birkman Method®. Its research and development department, working with other psychometricians and industrial/organizational psychologists in universities and industry, continues to refine The Method and ensure its relevance in the 21st century.

To learn more about The Birkman Method® click here.