Forgetting of marine emergency duties tasks: Predictors of relearning

Abstract

In emergencies at sea, it is crucial that the crew members remember emergency tasks. Although these practical skills are occasionally trained for, some are not routinely practiced and it is expected that performance of these skills will degrade over time. This program evaluation addresses whether characteristics can predict performance of marine emergency skills. Specifically, during relearning of two equipment preparation and donning tasks included in marine emergency duties refresher (MED-R) courses. The time since an individual had completed prerequisite training, the type of course (for Officers or Ratings), and the age of the individual were hypothesized to be significant predictors of performance patterns in this initial cohort of trainees. While very few trainees produced errors during an immersion suit task, more than half of trainees produced errors during a breathing apparatus task. The relationships between the predictors and breathing apparatus task error scores were statistically reliable, and 7% of the variance in performance is accounted for. Future research questions should focus on understanding additional factors that may aid in predicting relearning performance. Comparison of the two tasks examined, which differed in complexity, provides support for the role of task difficulty in theoretical understanding of differences in relearning of movement skills. In terms of practice, we can conclude that the individual factor of age and the training factors of timing and level can aid in predicting relearning performance. Further study of additional individual and training factors can bolster our ability to predict relearning outcomes, leading to effective and efficient training decisions.