Investigating Team Adaptation through Warfighter Communications

Abstract

Effective performance in dynamic environments depends on a team’s ability to adapt its communication in real time. Traditional approaches often focus on individual-level constructs, overlooking how adaptation emerges through team-level coordination. In this study, we applied Collective Systems Adaptation (CSA) analysis, a multivariate time-series method, to identify adaptation events in team-level communication adaptations, as reflected in five structural communication metrics. Using data from 28 high-fidelity combat simulations, we examined how these adaptations relate to mission performance. Results showed that larger, less frequent adaptations were positively associated with accuracy, while greater cumulative adaptation was related to longer enemy elimination times and reduced overall performance. These findings support a systems-based view of team cognition and demonstrate CSA’s utility for detecting real-time adaptation patterns. By capturing emergent shifts in team interaction, CSA offers a scalable tool for performance assessment and adaptive training in high-stakes environments.