Human Behavior Architecture Interface for Integrated Cognitive and Task Performance Model Development

As the Army transforms itself into an organization of the future, emphasis on acquiring new military systems and training soldiers to use those new systems is a primary challenge. These transformation programs are also counting heavily on simulation-based acquisition and training as a means through which risk can be minimized and total ownership cost can be reduced. To truly evaluate aspects of human behavior that impacts system performance, we need to model how soldiers will perform the perceptual, cognitive, and physical tasks required. However, a human behavior modeling environment that includes both procedural and cognitive aspects of human behavior does not currently exist. In addition, the available cognitive modeling architectures are difficult to use and require expertise in programming, modeling, and cognitive science. This proposal outlines a work plan for developing a modeling environment that consists of task network discrete event simulation and a cognitive architecture in a unified and integrated package. The unified architecture is designed to be used by systems engineers, analysts, and human factors professionals without backgrounds in programming or cognitive science to evaluate proposed new systems and to provide realistic training experiences through development of semi automated forces that behave more realistically.