Training Battlefield Critical Thinking and Initiative
Abstract
The first objective of this research was to explore and identify the cognitive skills that individuals need to function effectively in domains that require them to cope with uncertainty, change and conflicting purposes. The second objective was to develop and test methods for training those skills in the context of Army battlefield decision making. The training aimed at improving the ability of Army tactical staff officers to grasp the essential elements of a complex, uncertain, and dynamic situation, visualize those elements in terms of their organizational goals, and take action in a timely and decisive manner. The identification of cognitive skills to be trained and training strategies is based on an original theory of critical thinking skills, the Recognition/Metacognition (R/M) Theory. The theoretical and empirical foundations of the R/M model are described using literature on mental models, expertise, behavioral decision-making, and pattern recognition. The critical thinking skills developed for training include (1) developing and using appropriate mental models of high-order purpose and of time orientation, and (2) applying critical thinking strategies to these models, including the identification and filling of critical information gaps and conflicts in situation understanding, goals and plans, and identifying and evaluating underlying plan assumptions. Training is implemented in a stand-alone Compact Disk (CD).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA369128
Entities
People
- Bryan B. Thompson
- Leonard Adelman
- Marvin S. Cohen
- Terry A.. Bresnick