ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the state of situation awareness (SA) and provides insights into the process by which that SA is acquired. This technique has been embodied in a tool referred to as Quantitative Analysis of Situation Awareness (QUASA). Considering SA as a process, Sarter and Woods proposed a definition which suggests that situation awareness covers a variety of cognitive activities that are crucial to maintaining awareness in a complex environment. The QUASATM tool uses signal detection theory to give a measure of how well the individual can tell true from false information and also an indication of the individual’s bias, that is, how biased they are towards believing information is true or false. Signal detection theory was then applied to these answers, comparing the responses of the individuals with the actual responses of other members of the team. An interesting aspect of these data is that the QUASATM SA's score goes negative for this commander.
