Exploring the Concept of Team Situation Awareness in a Simulated Air Combat Environment

Abstract

This paper evaluates team SA in air combat simulations. Team composition (in terms of diversity in team members' experience) as a factor that could influence team SA is analyzed in a study of 16 military fighter pilots performing simulated air combat missions in teams of two. The study used different measures to assess team SA, including SAGAT, self-appraisal, appraisal of teammate's state, and teamwork behavior and communication. The analysis of intercorrelations between different measures of team SA shows that they are not fully overlapping. The results show high association between good SA and team interaction as measured by information sharing and feedback, support, and backup behavior. The results also suggest the potential negative impact of diversity in team members' experience on team SA and interaction processes. Finally, we reveal that teams that perform well are characterized by individuals with high SA related to own task, well-calibrated confidence level, and good team interaction. On the other hand, teams that perform well do not necessarily do better in estimating their self-SA and teammate's status.