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Complex Decision Research Group
School of
Psychological Science
La Trobe University
Bundoora, VIC, 3086
Australia
Tel +61 3 9479 3704
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School of Psychological Science
Complex Decision Research Group
Current Projects - Headcam Projects
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Over
a number of years the group has conducted many investigations involving
both Networked Fire Chief and the Headcam system. We have decided
to only mention either the most current or the potentially most
interesting projects to readers on this page.
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| Helmet-Mounted
Video and Incident Management: The Good, the Bad and the Disastrous |
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This summary describes the results of a research program that began
in 1994. The aim of the program was to shed light on psychological
aspects of command and control decision making by first-on-scene fire
officer incident commanders (IC’s). It was believed that the
findings would have implications for better understanding aspects
of small unit military peace support operations. In particular, we
were interested in investigating the degree to which emergency incident
command and control decision making processes resembled, or differed
from, those implied by decision models derived from managerial decision
theory.
A total of five male Senior Station Officers (SSOs) with the Melbourne
Fire and Emergency Services Board participated over a three month
period. Their experience as an SSO ranged from 7 to 19 years. Each
was in command of a shift team of approximately 12 firefighters manning
three firefighting appliances, with a Station Officer as second in
command, at the Windsor Fire Station, Melbourne.
The major conclusions concerning time-pressured command and control
decision making arising from this study of first-on-scene incident
commanders can be summarised as follows; |
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- Conventional managerial accounts
of decision making as a rational process of selecting the
optimum action from an array of alternatives on the basis
of perceived utility do not describe the actual processes
involved in time-pressured high stakes decision making.
Emergency incident command involves the development of adequate
situation understanding and the application of rule-based
knowledge to generate action.
- The pattern
of decision making processes will vary with the level of
uncertainty inhering in the situation. Under conditions
of low uncertainty, rapid recognitional decision processes
will predominate. Under conditions of high uncertainty,
slower analytical problem solving decision processes are
more likely to be used. However, under both conditions situation
assessment and conceptualisation processes are crucial.
- The limited capacity of human working
memory renders the time-pressured high-stakes decision maker
vulnerable to cognitive overload. To accommodate to this,
decision makers adopt simplifying heuristics, which in turn
may lead to faulty situation conceptualisation and consequent
error.
- Under conditions of high uncertainty
and high workload in particular, self-monitoring and active
self-regulation of negative affects are important processes
for effective command and control decision making.
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Enhancing
Training of Senior Fire Officers
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This project was intended as a proof-of-concept trial of using the
headcam system in an operational fireground setting. Nine Metropolitan
Fire Brigade officers who were candidates for promotion from Station
Officer to Senior Station Officer rank. In preparation for their final
field exercise evaluation, each officer took part in a program of
practical (simulation) exercises, assuming the role of Incident Controller
and being given feedback on his performance by a panel of experienced
observers. Each candidate wore the helmet-mounted camera and backpack
recorder while in command during one exercise. Immediately afterwards
he viewed a replay of his own-point-of-view footage and spoke aloud
his recollections of his decision processes. These recollections were
recorded onto a video tape simultaneously with a copy of the original
video footage (Click Here for an extract of a debrief)
The copy of the tape with verbalised recollections was then given
to the candidate, who viewed it with the course instructors and other
candidates to obtain evaluative feedback and suggestions as to alternative
courses of action. At the end of the course (all nine candidates were
successful!) the officers evaluated the helmet-camera and two-stage
debrief very positively.
The tapes of the verbalised decision processes recalled by the nine
candidates were later transcribed and analysed. |
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The role of anticipation of rule violation in the decision making
of basketball umpires
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Basketball referees have to make many decisions in a very complex
fast paced and ever changing environment. This project will focus
on the decision making processes of basketball referees with a particular
focus on the different strategies used by expert and novice referees.
Pre-priming is a process whereby decision makers engage in mental
simulations, based on previous experiences, prior to facing the decision
making situation at hand. Our recent research has revealed that experienced
decision makers are more likely to engage pre-priming as a decison
making strategy, particularly in complex time pressured situations.
A small, lightweight head-mounted
video camera will be worn by both expert and novice basketball
referees in the course of an organised basketball match. Following
this period, the referees will then participate in a two-staged
cued recall debrief session in which they will be asked to verbalise
the processes by which they were making decisions during the game.
It is envisaged that referees with more experience will show a greater
use of pre-priming than novice referees. |
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