Predicting the cognitive readiness of army search and rescue teams

The purpose of this research is to determine if teams can successfully predict their readiness to perform a mission via non-invasive methods. In this paper, we present a method for assessing individual and team readiness in the form of a questionnaire designed to allow team members to predict the readiness of their team to perform a particular mission. To test the questionnaires´ utility, we conducted a field experiment using University of Virginia Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets as test subjects because of the fit between our research domain and their field training exercise needs. We use the questionnaire data and scores of actual performance to determine the accuracy of individual and team readiness predictions. The results of this experiment are inconclusive. We recommend further experimentation with experienced subjects to determine if this methodology can be developed into a reliable, predictive tool.