A Process Model of Situated Cognition in Military Command and Control

Abstract : Complex cognitive systems couple humans with machines for the purpose of accomplishing a specific goal. It is often the case that human factors practitioners focus their attention on the humans while designers tend to focus on the technological aspects of the system. The point of intersection between humans and technology has become a boundary with respect to evaluation. In addition, human factors practitioners have often studied the result of cognitive activity (e.g., a decision) rather than the processes that lead to the outcome. In this paper, the authors present a general model that combines the technological aspects of a system with the perceptual and cognitive processes of the humans embedded in the system. The model emphasizes that such systems are both process oriented and dynamic. The authors describe a process tracing methodology that can be used to investigate the flow of data and information through both the technological and human components of the system. The attack on the USS Stark is used as a case study to illustrate the model and the process tracing methodology. The results of the process tracing analysis have implications for the design of complex systems and the training received by those who operate such systems.