Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales for the Assessment of Tactical Thinking Mental Models

Abstract

Abstract : An ongoing need exists in the Army to enhance combat leaders' tactical thinking skills. In conjunction, measurement techniques must be developed to assess tactical thinking skills. This report documents an effort to develop a standardized and reliable assessment tool for the purposes of evaluating training applications, diagnosing individuals' levels of cognitive proficiency, and examining the impact of advanced battle command technologies on user cognition. Four Tactical Thinking Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (T-BARS) were developed. They enable researchers to measure cognitive proficiency along critical dimensions of tactical thinking by coding behaviors that are observable in the context of training sessions, exercises, or experiments. Themes of tactical thinking identified in the Think Like A Commander program formed the basis of T-BARS. The Dreyfus & Dreyfus (1986) stage model of cognitive skill acquisition guided construct development for five levels of tactical thinking proficiency within each scale. Interviews were conducted with Army officers to elicit patterns of thinking and behaviors in tactical exercises. Interview data informed the behavioral descriptors generated to populate the levels of cognitive performance within the T-BARS. Scale development occurred iteratively with interrater reliability testing. The finalized T-BARS assessment tool is accompanied by a user guide to support its application.