The field of Aviation Psychology grew out of the need to refine/define a more objective and less time-consuming means of selecting candidates for military aviation training. Prior to World War I, the number of aircraft used in the military was small and, therefore, there was no impetus to develop new selection systems. During World War I, the number of pilots needed for the war effort increased dramatically, and the initial exploratory research into human abilities and traits that are predictive of success in aviation began. Prior to implementation of these research products, the war ended and military aviation selection programs were phased out.

In an attempt to meet the tremendous personnel requirements during the pre-World War II military buildup, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) in 1939 asked the National Research Council to undertake an elaborate research program on the selection and training of aircraft pilots. In 1940 the "Pensacola Project" was begun, and the field of Aviation Psychology was reborn.

The CAA, in conjunction with the Medical Research Section of the Bureau of Aeronautics, began work in July 1940. The Navy officially adopted the Pensacola Project in April 1941 and began commissioning officers to run the program. This later became the Aviation Psychology Section of the Division of Aviation Medicine. In 1942, the Navy's first paper-and-pencil selection test, the Aviation Classification Test/Flight Aptitude Rating (ACT/FAR) was implemented.

Although the role of the Aviation Experimental Psychologist (AEP) has grown over the years to include human factors design, training systems development, program management, and human performance research, AEPs are still responsible for the development of new selection systems to meet the future fleet needs.