Effects of Goal versus Target Orientation on Information Quality and Quantity in Military Reconnaissance Operations

Abstract

In reconnaissance operations, military observers are tasked to notice objects, people and events in their environment that may be relevant for their commander’s goals and objectives. Which ‘elements of information’ are noticed is influenced by how the operation assignment is presented (cf. the principle of priming). A distinction here is made between assignments that broadly outline the commander’s intent (‘goal orientation’) or that narrowly point to only one or two categories of information elements (‘target orientation’). In a virtual environment, eighteen male military participants carried out and reported on a reconnaissance operation, after being briefed with either goal-oriented or target-oriented assignments. Results show that a goal-oriented assignment leads to more information elements as well as more diverse elements being reported, albeit at a lower level of detail than a target-oriented assignment. Reconnaissance commanders should therefore choose carefully how they present their information gathering assignments.