title: Situation awareness measures for simulated submarine track management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine whether the Situation Present Assessment Method (SPAM) and the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) predict incremental variance in performance on a simulated submarine track management task and to measure the potential disruptive effect of these situation awareness (SA) measures.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Submarine track managers use various displays to localize and track contacts detected by own-ship sensors. The measurement of SA is crucial for designing effective submarine display interfaces and training programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants monitored a tactical display and sonar bearing-history display to track the cumulative behaviors of contacts in relationship to own-ship position and landmarks. SPAM (or SAGAT) and the Air Traffic Workload Input Technique (ATWIT) were administered during each scenario, and the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and Situation Awareness Rating Technique were administered postscenario.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SPAM and SAGAT predicted variance in performance after controlling for subjective measures of SA and workload, and SA for past information was a stronger predictor than SA for current/future information. The NASA-TLX predicted performance on some tasks. Only SAGAT predicted variance in performance on all three tasks but marginally increased subjective workload.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SPAM, SAGAT, and the NASA-TLX can predict unique variance in submarine track management performance. SAGAT marginally increased subjective workload, but this increase did not lead to any performance decrement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Defense researchers have identified SPAM as an alternative to SAGAT because it would not require field exercises involving submarines to be paused. SPAM was not disruptive, but it is potentially problematic that SPAM did not predict variance in all three performance tasks.
authors: University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia shayne.loft@uwa.edu.au.
authors: Shayne
authors: S
authors: Loft
authors: University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors: Vanessa
authors: V
authors: Bowden
authors: University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors: Janelle
authors: J
authors: Braithwaite
authors: University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors: Daniel B
authors: DB
authors: Morrell
authors: Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Perth, Australia.
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Huf
authors: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors: Francis T
authors: FT
authors: Durso
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012767:Ships; D016526:Workload; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT); Situation Awareness Present Method (SPAM); situation awareness; submarine track management