Combat Identification in Mixed Gender Teams

Abstract

This study examined the effects of team gender composition on combat identification ability. We investigated the relationship between gender composition and team success in decision making during combat identification scenarios. Participants were shown images and videos of various armored vehicles in both daytime and nighttime environments in order to elicit team decisions on how to identify each vehicle. Measures were taken to determine an individual’s potential role in the team and success of identification when presented with tanks at different angles. Results showed that male-male teams scored significantly higher on combat identification than male-female teams, and males outperformed females on spatial visualization. In addition, spatial visualization ability was a strong predictor of combat identification success. These findings lay a foundation for optimizing team performance in combat identification tasks when teams with different genders are utilized, and this study further supports future research into mixed-gender teams in combat roles.