Measuring situation awareness in command and control: Comparison of methods study

Motivation - This research sought to compare three different approaches for measuring Situation Awareness (SA) during a command and control scenario. Research approach - A total of 20 participants undertook question one of the Combat Estimate, a military planning process, in an experimental command and control test bed environment. Participant SA was measured using three different SA measures: a freeze probe technique, a post trial subjective rating technique, and a critical incident technique interview approach. Comparisons were then made between the measures of SA obtained during the study. Findings/Design - The results show that the freeze probe measure (SAGAT) was the only measure that had a statistically significant correlation with participant performance. The findings also demonstrate that there was no significant correlation between the three SA measures used. Research Implications - The findings offer validation evidence for the SAGAT approach when used to measure participant SA during a command and control task and suggest that the three approaches used view SA in a different manner. Originality/Value - The research explores the measurement of SA during command and control activity and makes judgements on the suitability of each method for application in this context. Take away message - Analogous to the different theoretical perspectives on SA presented in the literature, these findings suggest that the methods compared view and assess SA in a very different manner.