Human Factors Research in Command Information Processing Systems-- Summary of Recent Studies

The Command System program of the U. S. Army Behavioral Science Research Laboratory is directed toward solving problems associated with information processing and decision making by commanders and their staffs. Research focuses on one or more aspects of events which occur from the time a commander receives his mission until he completes it. This chain of events is the system within which command decisions are formulated and executed--a tactical operations system within which tactical information processing is performed. The Command Systems program is divided into two work units. Research efforts which focus on such information processing aspects as the rapid and accurate input and assimilation of information are conducted by the Tactical Information Processing (TIP) work unit. Efforts which emphasize aspects of the total system such as allocation of functions to man and equipment and system information requirements fall within the Tactical Operations System (TOS) work unit. The present report traces research progress from the beginning of FY 1967 to the present. During this period 23 projects were completed or are now in progress.