Individual and Team Communication in a Dynamic Task

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of an experiment designed to study communication and its role in performance on a task shared between two human operators. Specifically, the experiment addressed the effects of system representations and communication on individual and team performance. As individuals, the operators had independent access to a computer interface that represented system information either in a graphic or an alphanumeric format. In the second phase of the research, operators were paired into teams to supervise the system. Two operators supervised the simulated fluid flow process, coordinating system control and failure detection responsibilities through their voice-mediated communication. Teams were comprised of operators using graphic, alphanumeric, or a combination of both graphic and alphanumeric information. Protocol analysis, specifically a think aloud methodology, was used in order to study the cognitive strategies used by individual operators to supervise the system, and to identify the types of communication that lead to the best performance. Performance comparisons were made between operators performing as individuals and in teams. Team communication was analyzed and related to system performance. Both the amount of communication and content of the communication was related to effective individual and team performance. Discussion focused on the application of these results to the design of advanced controls, operator interfaces, and operator communication.