title: Cognition in command: accessing expert cognition to inform decision making and training in emergency response command teams
Creators: name: Ferkol, Ashley
Publisher: name: The University of Edinburgh
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: decision-making
subject: emergency response team performance
subject: performance psychology
subject: decision-making training
subject: Naturalistic Decision Making

description: THESIS BACKGROUND: Understanding the cognitive processes required to make effective decisions holds important implications for performance and safety for the emergency services. Multi-agency emergency response decision making and training is an underexplored research area. This thesis explores multi-agency (MA) response performance in the context of training for the tri-service agency command teams in Scotland. Guided by the underpinning discipline of performance psychology, this thesis adopts a pragmatic research philosophy to undertake applied research using methods from the Naturalistic Decision Making approach. This PhD research was comprised of three empirical data studies, which are outlined below. STUDY 1: Exploratory Study AIMS: The first aim was to examine and identify the context factors and key skills involved in multi-agency team performance and training. The second aim was to understand the training methods used, and identify key needs, strengths, and challenges within the MA training context in Scotland. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants from the police, fire, and ambulance services experienced in multi-agency working and training. The interviews examined context factors, knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA’s), and the current training factors that contribute to effective incident response performance. The interviews were thematically analysed with appropriate trustworthiness procedures integrated. RESULTS: 567 data points were coded, yielding 14 categories and 67 sub- categories of themes. The findings were presented across the following themes: 1) Context factors and KSAs for tri-service team performance, and 2) Training methods, needs, strengths, and challenges. Implications: The findings highlighted the need for: 1) Capturing expert knowledge, 2) Leadership training, and 3) More joint training opportunities. STUDY 2: Accessing Expert Cognition Study AIMS: The second study aimed to capture expert knowledge of tri-service team commanders to further understand how decisions are made at both an individual and team level in a multi-agency response context. METHODS: Adapted Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) interview methods were used to elicit expert knowledge from three experienced strategic tri-service commanders, one each from the police, fire, and ambulance services. Adapted CTA methods included an individual CTA interview, titled the Modified Team Knowledge Audit (MTKA), and a team-based CTA interview, the Team Scenario Interview (TSI). RESULTS: Data from the MTKA were used to produce a Cognitive Demands Table (CDT). A total of 31 cognitive demands (CD) involved in incident response were identified, along with identified potential sources of error, decision challenges, and decision cues and strategies. The CDT was deductively analysed against the empirically based model of macrocognition and the domain-relevant Joint Decision Model. Data from the TSI were used to create a Decision Requirements Table (DRT). A total of 24 groups of cognitive and decision requirements for a tri-service teams were identified. IMPLICATIONS: This study contributed to existing research through the identification of CDs, the timing and nature of CDs over the course of a response, and the wider cognitive processes (e.g., macrocognition) required of individual and teams to make decisions in this context. These findings then were linked to existing decision models and connected to training. This study also presents a methodological contribution through the adaptation of existing CTA methods designed to explore shared cognition of tri-service commanders. STUDY 3: Registered Report AIMS: The Registered Report (RR) provided a detailed outline of the protocol for a training intervention study that utilised the findings from the first two studies to directly inform future training to accelerate the developing expertise of Scottish tri- service commanders working in multi-agency environments. METHODS: A mixed-methods between-groups training intervention study was designed for a Stage 1 Registered Report (RR). The RR protocol adopted the guidelines and checklist promoted by the Open Science Framework for developing a Stage 1 RR. The independent variable was the type of training, and dependent variables were decision performance, confidence, teamwork attitudes, and retained learning effects. RESULTS: This study produced a Registered Report protocol, outlining detail related to ten criteria of study design for a Stage 1 RR. IMPLICATIONS: Given the lack of training studies in the MA emergency team literature, this study addresses a key gap in the existing research. The RR itself promotes quality research and the effective use of resources by reporting the research protocol in advance for transparent and open research practice. THESIS FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS: This thesis produced findings that included: the identification of context factors and KSA’s contributing to tri-service response performance, an overview of the tri-service training landscape, specific insights into command experts’ cognitive processes underpinning decision-making to inform training, and the development of a decision-making training intervention study RR protocol. Recommendations for future research are offered alongside implications for applied practice based on the findings of this research.