Team Decision-Making Strategies: Implications for Designing the Interface in Complex Tasks

Abstract

Two longitudinal experiments were designed to challenge teams performing a time-critical aircraft identification task (Team Argus). In the first experiment, it was predicted that teams would use different strategies to maintain performance across increasing levels of time pressure. However, at some point these strategies would become inadequate, and performance would not be recoverable. The identification of these critical temporal stress levels and strategies suggested interface design modifications that would help teams maintain performance longer. The findings obtained were then used to inform improved interface designs, that would mediate the effects of time pressure. The successfulness of these interface changes were evaluated in the second experiment, comparing team performance on the same task using perceptually-aided and cognitively-aided interfaces and the original un-aided interface.