KNOWLEDGE TRANSFERENCE AND INNOVATIVE DECISION MAKING IN DISTRIBUTED COMMAND AND CONTROL ENVIRONMENTS

PREVIOUS RESEARCH EFFORTS CONCERNING THE COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE MEMBERS OF COMMAND AND CONTROL (C2) TEAMS IN DISTRIBUTED, COMPUTER-MEDIATED SYSTEMS HAVE FOCUSED ON MODIFICATIONS OF SYSTEM DESIGN TO ENHANCE COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. MYSTECH PROPOSES A COMPLEMENTARY EFFORT THAT FOCUSES ON INNOVATIVE C2 TEAM TRAINING METHODS TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. THE RESEARCH WILL FOCUS ON A SPECIFIC C2 ENVIRONMENT--BATTLE MANAGEMENT IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING BATTLE SITUATION. GIVEN THIS CONTEXT, "STRESS" WILL BE INTRODUCED AS AN IMPORTANT INDEPENDENT VARIABLE, IN ADDITION TO DISPERSION AND COMPUTER-MEDIATION. THE EFFORT WILL THEN TURN TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF PROCESSES IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, PARTICULARLY THOSE DUE TO STRESS, THAT MITIGATE AGAINST THE SHARING OF MENTAL MODELS AND THE MAINTENANCE OF A FLEXIBLE AND INNOVATIVE COGNITIVE STANCE IN BATTLE PLANNING. OF THE IDENTIFIED PROCESSES, THOSE THAT MAY BE ADDRESSED BY TRAINING WILL FORM THE BASIS OF A TEAM TRAINING PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE SYNCHRONOUS SHARING THE MENTAL MODELS AND THE MAINTENANCE OF COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY AND INNOVATION IN DYNAMIC BATTLE PLANNING.