Determining the Requisite Components of Visual Threat Detection to Improve Operational Performance
Abstract
This report describes research initiated to understand the requisite components of visual threat detection for the operational environment and to assess the critical behaviors Soldiers rely on to proficiently detect threats. To understand the process of visual threat detection, a focused literature review of military doctrine and academic sources was completed, in-depth interviews were conducted with Soldiers who had recent deployment experiences, and computer-controlled exercises were used to investigate the primary processes of threat detection. Those processes include dynamic threat monitoring, threat prioritization, and causal reasoning. Based on findings from that research, a model of visual threat detection was created. The findings are summarized in two reports. This report presents evidence that suggests visual threat detection is a cyclical process requiring numerous, concurrent perceptual and cognitive processes, and may be enhanced by focusing training development on the principle components such as causal reasoning. The second report will discuss the development and evaluation of a research-based training exemplar. Visual threat detection pervades many military contexts, but is also relevant in similar settings such as law enforcement and airport security; therefore, this research has the potential to inform a wider audience.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA604449
Entities
People
- Christopher L. Vowels
- Jeff Grover
- Laura Zimmerman
- Shane T Mueller
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences