Expert Performance in Law Enforcement: Are Skilled Performers More Effectively Constraining the Situation to Resolve Representative Dynamic Tasks than Novices?

Abstract

Ericsson and Kintsch (1995) suggested that long-term working memory (LTWM) allows skilled performers to predict the occurrence and consequence of future events and anticipate future retrieval demands. Traditional domains of expertise, such as typing and text comprehension, have been used to provide evidence for mechanisms that permit such behaviors. Real-world tasks are more dynamic and challenging, particularly when performed under time-pressure. We examined skilled and less-skilled law enforcement officers in a simulated task environment. Performance measures (e.g., un-holstering, aiming, and firing a weapon) were used to test LTWM theory and participants' comprehension of the situation by assessing the consistency between actions currently being performed and the situation outcome. These data provided evidence that skilled officers make predictive inferences, anticipate future events, and rely upon information beyond that which is available in the current scenario.