The Impact of Stressors on Military Performance
Abstract
Military personnel are exposed to a range of stressors that potentially impact on their performance and wellbeing. If we are to gain a better understanding of the impact of the operational environment and operational demands on soldier performance we need to understand the way in which these impact on the soldier. This paper focuses on the impact of stress on military performance. Some key theories and models that describe the stress concept are briefly reviewed. A core feature of the majority of these is the notion of Inputs (environmental demands), Adaptation (responses occurring within a person that enable them to adapt to environmental demands), and Outputs (performance as a consequence of the environmental demands and any adaptations made). This paper identifies confusion surrounding the concept of stress and terminology such as stressor. An overview of selected Inputs is followed by an oversight of the nature of Adaptation. Research related to Outputs is summarised and a brief overview provided of methodological issues. The paper identifies that there are many unknowns with respect to the impact of Inputs on Outputs, and also the Adaptation responses. To better identify means of optimising soldier performance and mitigate against potential negative effects to Inputs, more research is needed. It is particularly important to conduct field studies that consider the interactions of two or more stressors (Inputs).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA602524
Entities
People
- Diane Pomeroy
Organizations
- Defence Science and Technology Group