Graphic Versus Tote Display of Information in a Simulated Tactical Operations System

human abilities. As part of this continuing study, the Command and Control Work Unit Area of the Army Research Institute compared the effects of graphic and tote display modes on the speed and quality of decisions based on the displayed information. In the context of ARI's Simulated Tactical Operations System (SIMTOS), 28 officers, divided into two groups, were presented a command decision task. For one group, information requested by the officers from the data base was presented in graphic format emphasizing spatial and symbolic coding of the data. For the other group, the data were presented in tote form emphasizing tabular arrangement and alpha-numeric coding, Evaluation of the two display modes was in terms of speed and accuracy of the final decision and the number of non-redundant facts accessed by the subject.