Friendly Fire in a Simulated Firearms Task

Abstract

Factors such as poor visibility, lack of situation awareness, and bad communication have been shown to contribute to friendly fire incidents. However, to the authors' knowledge, an individual's ability to inhibit their motor response of shooting when a non-target is presented has not been investigated. This phenomenon has been modeled empirically using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART; Robertson, Manly, Andrade, Baddeley, & Yiend, 1997) computer task. The SART is generally a high Go/low No-Go detection task whereby participants respond to numerous neutral stimuli and withhold to rare targets. In the current investigation, we further investigate the SART using a simulated small arms scenario to test whether lack of motor response inhibition can be modeled in a more ecologically valid environment. Additionally, we were interested in how error rates were impacted in low Go/high No-Go versions of the task. Thirteen university students completed a computer and simulated small arms scenario in a SART and low Go condition. Both the computer and small arms scenario revealed similar speedaccuracy trade-offs indicating participants' inability to halt their pre-potent responses to targets even in a more ecologically valid environment. The SART may be used in future studies to model friendly fire scenarios.

Passive perceptual learning versus active searching in a novel stimuli vigilance task

“…Thus, improvements in auditory, olfactory, taste, vision, and tactile perception can be acquired with time-on-task (i.e., task exposure) (Seitz and Dinse 2007). Indeed when confronted with novel stimuli, perceptual learning occurs and this is an important process in many settings, including the search for cryptic or hard to detect targets (Ong et al 2013;Wiggins and O'Hare 2003;Wilson et al 2013). Repeated exposure to stimuli improves the processing of those stimuli (Mukai et al 2007(Mukai et al , 2011Watanabe et al 2002).…”

Measuring Lethal Force Performance in the Lab: The Effects of Simulator Realism and Participant Experience

“…Thus, there is an increased need for cost-effective, flexible, and realistic simulators (Soetedjo et al, 2011) that can be used in both research and training. One additional approach to studying lethal force performance that is worth noting is the use of a constructed shoot house type of scenario that uses a mock projectile weapon (Wilson, Head, Helton et al, 2013. This approach introduces realism by having participants move in real space, identify actors as friend or foe, and aim a mock weapon in real space.…”

“…Several previous laboratory studies have examined the interaction between firearms and cognition using a variety of simulated weapons. For example, participants have been asked to respond using a gaming-style gun (Taylor et al, 2017;Witt & Brockmole, 2012;Xu & Inzlicht, 2015), a nonfunctional BB gun (Biggs et al, 2013), machined metal with a laser, handles, and a trigger (Wilson, Head, Helton et al, 2013, or a keyboard (Brewer et al, 2016;Correll et al, 2007). Gaming platforms are sometimes used along with these gaming-style guns to create a simulation of shoot/don't shoot scenarios.…”

Friendly Fire and the Proportion of Friends to Foes

“…The likelihood of friendly fire incidents has partly been increased by technological advancements leading to weapons with improved accuracy and faster rates of fire. It is possible that losses of inhibitory control are a contributing factor (Greitzer & Andrews, 2008;Wilson, Head, & Helton, 2013).…”

“…Recently, Wilson et al (2013) investigated whether the SART could be used to model small arms friendly fire incidents. Wilson and colleagues conducted a small arms simulation experiment where participants armed with a near-infrared emitter gun (similar to allied forces MILES gear) were confronted with a confederate acting as either a friend or a foe.…”