Strategy Adaptivity and Metacognitive Monitoring as Bases of Individual Differences in Learning and Skill Acquisition

Abstract

To achieve optimal operational success, our forces must respond quickly, perform multiple tasks concurrently, and adapt their strategies effectively in dynamically changing environments. Effective strategy use is essential for many types of learning and skill acquisition. However, large individual differences exist between individuals in how effective they are in devising novel and efficacious strategies for performing a task. To design training programs that promote adaptive warrior performance, we must first understand the cognitive mechanisms that support development and utilization of adaptive strategic skills. Our research uses a framework informed by behavioral and neural measures of individual differences in strategy use to explore how best to train the key metacognitive components hypothesized to underlie effective strategy creation and adaptation. The proposed effort begins with a set of behavioral studies that leverage the results of our prior ONR funding to examine the effectiveness of real-time computer-based coaching on the development of effective strategies. Additionally, we propose a study to examine whether the metacognitive training in one learning domain transfers to another learning domain. Finally, a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study is proposed to examine the neural basis of individual differences in strategy adaptivity. Findings will inform the development and testing of training methods designed to optimize sailor strategy adaptivity for the 21st Century Navy that also have potential applications in the classroom.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Mar 03, 2017
Source ID
N000141712324

Entities

People

  • Robert Moss

Organizations

  • Mississippi State University
  • Office of Naval Research
  • United States Navy

Tags

Readers

  • Distributed Systems and Data Platform Development
  • Military Training and Readiness Simulation
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.