Software, Stress & Decision Making

Came across this interesting report finding - while it is apparent that software is so intertwined in our modern lives that it is virtually impossible to live without it -this research finding sort og fortfies the standing of software in the modern world. Penn State research finds that human teams aided by a software system can make decisions more accurately and quickly in time-stressed situations than teams of just people. The researchers tested their software in a military command-and-control simulation which involved intelligence gathering, logistics and force protection. When time pressures were normal, the human teams functioned well, sharing information and making correct decisions about the potential threat, according to the researchers. But when the time pressure increased, the teams' performance suffered, according to the researchers. Because there was no time to share information, the teams made incorrect decisions about whether to avoid or attack the coming aircraft. The researchers also learned that in contrast to human teams whose performance suffers from increased tempos, the software enables human teams to better maintain their performance at an acceptable level.While the simulation involved a military scenario, people on distributed teams in other areas such as emergency management operations also need information to make decisions in stressful situations. This software agent can help team members share information as well as identify salient information in uncertain environments.