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Target size, self-efficacy, and stress as determinants of precision in a marksmanship task
Fabio Ibrahim1, Kevin Wittig1, Philipp Yorck Herzberg1
1Department of Personality Psychology and Psychological Assessment, Helmut-Schmidt-University, Hamburg, Germany.
Frontiers in Psychology
|January 22, 2026
Summary
Smaller targets significantly improve marksmanship precision for law enforcement and military personnel. Shooting self-efficacy also enhances performance by reducing subjective stress, offering key insights for training.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Physiology
- Human Factors Engineering
Background:
- Marksmanship is crucial for law enforcement and military, yet factors like target size influencing precision are understudied.
- Understanding these factors is vital for optimizing training and performance in high-stress situations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of target size on shooting precision.
- To examine the roles of shooting self-efficacy, subjective stress, and physiological stress in marksmanship performance.
Main Methods:
- 140 student officers completed live-fire tasks in a simulator, engaging small and large targets.
- Measures included emotional stress, self-efficacy, shooting experience, and heart rate variability (RMSSD).
- Precision was assessed by mean distance to center and shot group radius.
Main Results:
- Smaller targets significantly enhanced shooting precision (d=0.36) irrespective of subjective stress.
- Self-efficacy positively predicted performance (r=0.39) and negatively correlated with stress and stress variability.
- Subjective stress partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and precision (17.7%).
Conclusions:
- Smaller target areas may improve perceptual-motor alignment during shooting.
- Psychological factors like self-efficacy directly and indirectly enhance marksmanship through stress reduction.
- Findings highlight modifiable factors for systematic improvement in marksmanship training programs.
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