The Effect of Cognitive Load and Target Characteristics on Soldier Shooting Performance and Friendly Targets Engaged

The dismounted soldier of the future will be loaded with more information processing tasks while performing shooting tasks. It is conceivable that in the future, some increased level of cognitive tasking may be performed simultaneously with shooting tasks. The effect of shooting under cognitive load has been studied to determine the effect of various levels of cognitive workload and shooting on non-loading secondary task performance (Scribner & Harper, 2001). The current study proposed to alter friendly target visual signatures and target exposure times to examine the possible interaction effects of a target discrimination task during various target exposure times. These trials were performed as a single-task scenario and as a dual-task scenario under one level of cognitive workload with a secondary task. This study was performed at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's small arms shooting performance research facility. Participants were 12 U.S. Army infantry soldiers, military occupational specialty 11M (mechanized), whose ages ranged from 18 to 34 years old. The shooting task consisted of a 24-target pop-up scenario with friendly (white or gray circular marking on the chest of the target) and enemy (olive drab green) E-type silhouette targets. Half of the targets were friendly and half were enemy. Ranges consisted of 5O-,l00-, 150-, 200-, 250-, and 300-meter targets. Target exposure times were 4, 3, and 2 seconds. Soldiers were in a foxhole supported position for all trials. The M16A2 with iron sights was used. The secondary task, mathematical problem solving, was presented aurally while subjects performed shooting tasks. Dependent variables included hit, reaction time, and friendly targets engaged. Also included were subjective workload assessment technique and subjective rating of events general stress ratings. Subjects were instructed to maintain primary task (shooting) performance through all trials. The original document contains color images. All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.