Increasing combat effectiveness through the development of environmentally relevant mental models from scenario-based affordances, inferences, and action under variable levels of stress

<p dir="ltr">Military operations often require critical decisions and actions in response to environmental threats whilst under constrained time periods within high consequence and high threat environments. The ability for these individuals to respond appropriately to either respective threat or non-threat relies on a cascade of human factors including accurate identification and recognition of visual threat stimuli, emotional regulation, response selection and motor skill execution. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to explore the human factors associated with performance on an urban operations training course and understand the most effective training methodologies to increase the transfer of training to real world performance in use of force behaviour and outcomes. Following the introductory chapter, Chapter Two presents a systematic review of the published literature investigating the impact of increased pressure on marksmanship performance. Results of the meta-analysis determined the negative impact on marksmanship, reaction time and decision making as well as the positive effect size of several interventions strategies and experience. The results highlighted the negative impact of pressure, the importance of relevant experience, and several strategies that could be employed to provide a mitigating effect. Chapter Three investigated the impact of an Urban operations training (UOT) course on adversarial cue utilisation to assess associations between cue utilisation and course performance. A secondary aim was to assess changes in cue utilisation performance as a result of participation in the training course by using pre- and post-assessments of performance on a cue utilisation task. The results of this research found limited associations between individual cue utilisation performance and successful or unsuccessful outcome on an Urban operations training course. Post course assessment revealed no between groups changes in cue utilisation from course participation or benefits from experience on performance. Chapter Four investigated the relationship between the outcomes of a reality based Urban operations training course and the identification and recognition components of combat-related cue utilisation compared to a control group undergoing traditional training using range-based targets. Research findings demonstrated no significant differences between participants identification and recognition abilities in cue utilisation based on separate training methods or experience. There was no between group effects in cue utilisation or changes from participation in either the course or training, and limited significant improvements from training participation were observed in response time overall. Chapter Five investigated the level of performance improvement on identification and recognition accuracy of training related visual stimuli compared to stimuli expected to be encountered in real world environments. A secondary comparison was also conducted to compare any changes on individual response on a shoot no shoot task from participation to a 3-week military combat training course designed to prepare individuals for close quarter warfare. The overall aim of this research was to examine the relationship between the training environment, cue identification and recognition and performance on a shoot – no shoot task. Results from this work highlight that individuals appear to synthesise specific cues contained only within a training environment to associate and develop perception and action. Many of which are features that are contained only within the training environment and not representative or available within a real-world urban operations performance environment. The findings presented in this thesis collectively address an important knowledge gap and need to enhance the understanding of associations between visual cue identification and recognition, and decision making and performance within high threat, high consequence urban operations environments. Specifically, this thesis demonstrated that 1) Development of individual ability in the identification and recognition of visual cues for perception and action is specific to the cues available within the learning environment, 2) there are strong indications that individual response in use of force outcomes under time pressure is a subconscious process of perception and action coupling that may result in a bias for action and, 3) increases in anxiety due to increased perceptual pressure is still one of the primary factors of error in use of force performance and can be mitigated through appropriate training exposure.</p>