Decision Making in Chaos

Abstract

How do military special operations officers make quick decisions in complex, fast-moving combat environments where the quality and speed of a decision could mean the difference between life and death? This qualitative study of Army and Navy special operations officers explores the factors that contribute to each individuals decision-making process. The findings reveal that chaos is a function of enemy sense breaking efforts, and to overcome this, leaders must first internalize the gravity of their current circumstances, a process referred to as "sense conversion." After this point they are able to begin the sense making process that allows them to make an informed decision. This study led to a model of rapid decision making that revealed both the individual process as well as external factors, such as cohesion, that played critical roles in their ability to make decisions in chaos.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2015
Accession Number
AD1009308

Entities

People

  • Ariel C. Tyler
  • Isaac B. Tyler

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Cognition
  • Command And Control
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Data Analysis
  • Information Overload
  • Information Processing
  • Institutional Review Board
  • Medical Evacuation
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Personnel
  • Psychology
  • Small Arms
  • Special Operations Forces
  • Students
  • Teamwork
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).
  • Wave Propagation and Nonlinear Chaotic Dynamics.