ABSTRACT
The command of armed forces in battle is a complex and difficult skill. Commanders must make decisions under quite difficult circumstances that may have enormous consequences. Command and control (C2) is the term that describes the job of the battle commander. C2 is characterized by ill-structured problems, changing conditions, high stakes, and time demands. The field of naturalistic decision making (NDM) has some of its roots in the military's need to better understand the human dimensions of C2 . Naturalistic decision making research has investigated the cognitive processes that underlie how individuals actually make decisions and how they use their experience and training under demanding conditions. The research has resulted in a change in how psychologists, and ultimately battle commanders, view the process of decision making.
