Gaze Control and Tactical Decision-Making Under Stress in Active-Duty Police Officers During a Live Use-of-Force...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Law Enforcement Training
• Human Factors

Background:

• Effective tactical decision-making is crucial for police officers in high-stress situations.
• Officer performance relies on recognizing visual cues and assessing threats accurately.
• Experience and intuition play significant roles in rapid decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how visual search patterns influence tactical decision-making in police officers.
• To identify factors differentiating expertise in tactical decision-making.
• To examine the relationship between visual search patterns and physiological stress responses (heart rate).

Main Methods:

• Cluster analysis of visual search variables (fixation duration, location, count) was used.
• 44 active-duty police officers participated in realistic, high-stress use-of-force scenarios.
• Physiological responses (heart rate) were monitored during scenarios.

Main Results:

• Two visual search groups emerged: Efficient Scan and Inefficient Scan.
• The Efficient Scan group exhibited longer fixation durations and different area of interest (AOI) focus.
• Efficient Scan officers had more tactical training, better return fire performance, and higher sleep duration.

Conclusions:

• Efficient visual search patterns are linked to better tactical decision-making and processing efficiency.
• Extensive tactical training appears to enhance attentional control and visual search strategies.
• Experience and training are key factors in optimizing police officer performance under stress.