Effects of Neurocognitive Temporal Training on Weapon Firing Performance

Area of Science:

• Military Science
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Human Performance

Background:

• Marksmanship is crucial for military effectiveness.
• Some service members struggle to achieve and maintain marksmanship qualifications.
• Rhythm and timing are vital for coordinated movements in shooting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of neurocognitive temporal training (NTT) on military marksmanship performance.
• To determine if NTT can enhance accuracy and precision in shooting tasks.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of NTT in improving military personnel's shooting skills.

Main Methods:

• 41 active duty U.S. Army service members were randomly assigned to an NTT group (N=18) or a Control group (N=23).
• Marksmanship was assessed pre- and post-training using two tasks: stationary targets at 175m and 300m, and moving/stationary targets at varying distances.
• Measures included accuracy and precision, with Total Path Length used to quantify shot-to-shot variability.

Main Results:

• The NTT group showed significantly reduced shot-to-shot variability and improved precision when firing at the 175m stationary target compared to the Control group (p < .05).
• No significant group differences were found for other accuracy or precision measures across both tasks.
• These findings suggest NTT's potential benefit for specific aspects of marksmanship.

Conclusions:

• Neurocognitive temporal training may enhance marksmanship precision by improving timing and reducing variability.
• Further research is warranted with varied training, participant groups (expert/novice), and outcome measures.
• NTT shows promise as a tool to augment military marksmanship training programs.