Expert Decision-Making in Naturalistic Environments: A Summary of Research

Effective and efficient decision-making in the Australian Army is integral to successful performance. Therefore, understanding the decision-making process is a research priority. In order to conduct such research, a summation of previous knowledge addressing the decision-making process and the climate within which it is embedded, is important. This report provides a theoretical platform on which to ground future research. It focuses on topics such as: decision theories, previous experience and expert functioning, levels of expertise, teamwork and naturalistic decision-making and decision error. The interrelations between these concepts are discussed, and recommendations for future research are given. Future research would be expected to inform the development of advanced decision support tools, and superior training techniques.