Observational assessment of situation awareness, team differences and training implications

Area of Science:

• Human Factors
• Cognitive Psychology
• Team Performance

Background:

• Team situation awareness (SA) is crucial for effective control room operations.
• Assessing SA in dynamic team environments presents methodological challenges.
• Understanding team differences in SA is vital for targeted training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the practicability and reliability of observational SA assessment.
• To explore team differences in SA, their consistency, and training implications.

Main Methods:

• Five shift teams participated in three distinct scenarios with SA-related probe events.
• Three observers concurrently rated team SA during scenario execution.
• The Critical Incident Technique was used for retrospective behavioral analysis.

Main Results:

• The observational SA assessment methodology proved practicable with satisfactory rater reliability.
• Significant team differences in SA were observed, but without a consistent pattern.
• 75 incidents and 20 behavioral dimensions related to SA were identified, categorized under planning, problem-solving, coordination, attention, communication, and knowledge.

Conclusions:

• Observational SA assessment is a viable method for control room teams.
• The inconsistent nature of team SA differences necessitates tailored training approaches.
• Findings inform the development of SA measurement and training content for control room environments.