From the Recognition Primed Decision Model to Training

Abstract

Routines of expert decision making are largely unconscious and require a rich store of experiences to operate successfully (Klein, 1989). This understanding seems to leave us with little opportunity to develop training interventions. How do we teach someone to do something that is unconscious? How do we give novices the requisite experience that it takes years for experts to acquire? In this chapter, we answer those questions by first describing the nature of expert decision making in terms of the Recognition Primed Decision (RPD) model, which consists of two processes-recognition and mental simulation. We then discuss the two processes of gaining expertise-acquisition of contextualized knowledge in the form of mental models, and practice applying these mental models in context to develop richness in one’s recognition and mental simulation abilities. Finally, we describe two training programs to illustrate how training can support the improvement of decision-making routines and the development and use of mental models.