The power of intuition in decision-making under operational stress

Abstract

The decision-making process represents one of the most interesting subjects in the field of cognitive sciences, as it is a concept that requires a complex multi- and interdisciplinary approach. Modern warfare involves operations in environments characterized by a high degree of uncertainty, presenting multiple challenges, and radical and unexpected changes in the situation, which require a sound knowledge of how human thinking works and how we can develop the cognitive processes involved in formulating a decision. The article proposes a brief analysis of the decision-making process by military leaders in situations that involve significant stressors and demand quick and intuitive decisions. For this purpose, the main theoretical and practical aspects discussed in the specialized literature are presented, with an emphasis on applications in the military field. Additionally, the concept of expert intuition is introduced. Although there have been attempts to study this concept since antiquity, the systematic study of this revolutionary concept began in the middle of the 20th century and continues to arouse lively interest even today, remaining the subject of lively academic disputes.