Cognitive requirements for small unit leaders in military operations in Urban Terrain

Decision-centered MOUT training for small unit leaders

“…Three SMEs were identified to validate the initial CTA findings (Phillips et al, 1998). All were retired soldiers with significant experience in MOUT.…”

“…Given the project objectives, the methods relied on the knowledge and skill of Army experts in MOUT and training. In a previous effort, a Cognitive Task Analysis of Army MOUT experts resulted in initial descriptions of the critical decisions and judgments in building clearing operations (Phillips, McDermott, Thordsen, McCloskey, & Klein, 1998). These findings were represented in Decision Requirements Tables.…”

“…The technical report produced from the earlier CTA effort describes five task-focused decision requirements (Phillips et al, 1998). In this section we will summarize those five decision requirements and describe in greater detail the additional decision requirement identified in the current study {Determine how to evacuate the building).…”

“…In the initial study we conducted a CTA of the building clearing operation within a MOUT environment (Phillips, McDermott, Thordsen, McCloskey, & Klein, 1998), we conducted nine interviews with seven highly skilled and experienced Army operators from the 75 Ranger Regiment (two individuals were interviewed twice). The result was a set of Decision Requirements Tables describing cognitive demands of the building clearing task from a platoon leader's perspective.…”

Sociocultural Behavior Sensemaking: State of the Art in Understanding the Operational Environment

“…To be useful, training in sociocultural understanding must rest on a solid understanding of real-world constraints. One useful method for developing training content is the decision requirements table (DRT), a technique developed by Klein Associates, Inc., which captures the critical cues that experienced analysts use when making a cognitively demanding decision (Phillips, McDermott, Thordsen, McCloskey, & Klein, 1998). The DRT can also capture why a decision is difficult, the information sources that experienced analysts consult to inform their decision, the common errors novices make when reaching a decision, the strategies used by experienced analysts, and the sources of uncertainty.…”