Team Decision Making in Time-Sensitive Environments
Abstract
Many critical Command and Control decisions, such as Time-Sensitive Targeting, must be made collaboratively due to the amount of information to be processed and the level of complexity. This research addresses the challenges of technology-supported human collaboration. We have conducted a blend of field observation, expert interviews, and chat analysis at several joint, time-sensitive exercises and experiments. We find operator teams perform critical functions as part of the human-technology "cognitive functional system." For example, they: 1) validate information, and determine where to get more if needed; 2) engage in collaborative sensemaking - handling ambiguous or conflicting information; 3) establish trust and credibility with one another; 4) maintain sufficient team awareness to enable effective coordination, even when not co-located; 5) judge who should - and should not - receive information, balancing the need for sharing against the danger of cognitive overload; 6) select appropriate communication modalities for sharing information of varying importance, time-sensitivity, and intended audience; 7) cue other team members to important information, emerging events, or changing priorities. Our results reveal how challenging these functions can be for operators bombarded with information, how existing technology supports or hinders key activities, and how teams adapt their processes or technologies to meet real time demands.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA463813
Entities
People
- Lindsley Boiney
Organizations
- MITRE Corporation