All for one and one for all: Representing teams as a collection of individuals and an individual collective using a network perceptual cycle approach

Abstract

The Perceptual Cycle Model (PCM) has been successfully applied to explain individual decision making, however distributed decision making in teams is the focus of much research as it is more relevant in understanding complex sociotechnical systems. This paper explores team perceptual cycle processes. Four crew members from a helicopter search-and-rescue team were interviewed about an engine oil temperature incident using the critical decision method. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the transcripts. It was demonstrated that the traditional perceptual cycle representation could not model the interconnectivity of teamwork effectively. As such, a network-based approach was employed to demonstrate the contributions of the different components of the PCM to the overall team process. Information processing patterns that are not modelled in the original PCM were found. Implications for this work in relation to modelling distributed cognition and application in the naturalistic decision making literature are discussed. Relevance to industryThe Perceptual Cycle Model underpins much research with industrial relevance, including decision making and situation awareness. Teams are a feature in all industrial applications; however the perceptual cycle model has yet to be applied to teams. A case study investigating a team representation of the perceptual cycle is presented and the implications discussed.