Shared Mental Models and Operational Effectiveness: Effects on Performance and Team Processes in Submarine Attack Teams

Abstract

In this study submarine attack crews were studied during simulated attack operations. The aim of the study was to test whether knowledge about team members had an effect on performance and team processes. The design controlled for skills of the different operators. Briefly, this study demonstrated that knowledge about team members adds to performance, over and above the contribution from operational skills. This was evident for number of hits on target, amount of information exchange, and the type of information changed to a more controlling type of interaction when the attack teams operated. In addition, the data indicated less physiological arousal in teams with known team members. We attributed this effect to the shared mental models of team members when the attack teams operated under a condition of known team members.