A Comparison of Two Types of Training Interventions on Team Communication Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of different types of training interventions on team communication. Forty-five teams of two persons each viewed one of three training videotapes (control, knowledge, and skills), then performed a low-fidelity helicopter simulation exercise. Trained raters were used to rate teams in terms of levels of their communications and mission performances. Finally, attitudes concerning aircrew coordination were measured before and after training using the Cockpit Management Attitude Questionnaire (CMAQ) developed by Helmreich, Wilhelm, & Gregorich (1988). Results indicated that team communication skills were affected by the type of training intervention the team received. Specifically, the communication of teams in the skills group was significantly better than that of the other two groups. No significant effect of training intervention was found for the mission performance or the attitude data, although a significant correlation was found between team communication performance and team mission performance. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance to the design of training interventions for enhancing team training and performance.