Submarine Navigation Team Resilience

Abstract

Advances in the assessment of submarine piloting and navigation teams have created opportunities for linking behavioral observations of team performances with neurodynamic measures of team organization, synchrony and change. Submarine navigation teams (n=12) were fitted with EEG headsets and recorded while conducting required navigation simulations. In parallel, their performances were assessed for team resilience by two evaluators using a team process rubric adopted by the Submarine Force. EEG models of team synchrony were created symbolically which identified times when there was increased across-team cognitive organization induced by the simulation and / or interactions with other crew members. One set of these organizations was observed in the 10 Hz EEG frequency band and coincided with the periodic activity of updating the ship’s position (e.g. Rounds). There were also periods of increased team synchrony between 25-40 Hz which were present during some Rounds events but were more prominent with task changes or when the team was stressed. More resilient teams had fewer periods of team synchrony and these were of smaller magnitude than those found in less resilient teams. These results indicate that both routine and unexpected activities trigger increased neurophysiologic synchrony / coherence in teams and that periods of persistent synchrony may signal a team being challenged.