A MULTIMAN-MACHINE SYSTEM SIMULATION FACILITY AND RELATED RESEARCH ON INFORMATION-PROCESSING AND DECISION-MAKING TASKS

摘要

This report covers a series of studies on. information-processing and decision-making behavior for individuals and for teams performing experimental tasks. Sections I and II summarize the development of a general-purpose, multiman system simulation facility for laboratory research on team performance within the context of realistic task environments. Included in these sections are descriptions of developmental guidelines, of exploratory research with a small-scale simulator (IPAC), and of a large-scale simulator (Comcon) in its present form. Exploratory research was conducted on the IPAC simulator to pretest task designs, hardware utilization, and experimental methods and procedures before they were adopted for use in research with Comcon. The Comcon simulator provides means for generating a data base (a dynamic environment) for experimental trials, presenting processed data and feedback to a subject team, and recording data. Its principal hardware components are IBM 7090 and 1401 digital data-processing systems, digital display consoles, a closed-circuit television system, a telephone system, and audio monitoring equipment. In Comcon exercises an eight-man subject team, serving a recon¬naissance-intelligence mission, operates upon simulated air reconnaissance reports (descriptions of vehicles, weapons, etc., in enemy territory) to pro-duce threat evaluations of enemy activities. Section III of this report describes three studies of system performance on the IPAC simulator on the effects of various system loads and types of feedback. In addition, a paper, which discusses systems concepts and research methodology, and ten experiments on individual performance are reviewed. The experiments treat questions pertaining to the effects of information-processing requirements, feedback variables, statistical characteristics of stimuli, and instructional sets upon the performance of various information-processing and decision-making tasks.