Human Behavior in Military Contexts

Human behavior forms the nucleus of military effectiveness.

Humans operating in the complex military system must possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, aptitudes, and temperament to perform their roles effectively in a reliable and predictable manner, and effective military management requires understanding of how these qualities can be best provided and assessed.

Scientific research in this area is critical to understanding leadership, training and other personnel issues, social interactions and organizational structures within the military. The U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) asked the National Research Council to provide an agenda for basic behavioral and social research focused on applications in both the short and long-term.

The committee responded by recommending six areas of research on the basis of their relevance, potential impact, and timeliness for military needs: intercultural competence; teams in complex environments; technology-based training; nonverbal behavior; emotion; and behavioral neurophysiology.

The committee suggests doubling the current budget for basic research for the behavioral and social sciences across U.S. military research agencies. The additional funds can support approximately 40 new projects per year across the committee's recommended research areas. Human Behavior in Military Contexts includes committee reports and papers that demonstrate areas of stimulating, ongoing research in the behavioral and social sciences that can enrich the military's ability to recruit, train, and enhance the performance of its personnel, both organizationally and in its many roles in other cultures. Table of ContentsFront MatterExecutive SummaryPART I: COMMITTEE REPORT1 Overview2 Intercultural Competence3 Teams in Complex Environments4 Technology and Training5 Nonverbal Communication6 Emotion7 Behavioral NeurophysiologyReferencesPART II: PAPERSCulture and Negotiations--Michele J.

GelfandAdult Second Language Acquisition: A Cognitive SciencePerspective--Judith F.

KrollTechnology-Based Training--Arthur C. Graesser and Brandon KingNonverbal Communication--Nicole C.

KramerThe Science of Emotion: What People Believe, What the EvidenceShows, and Where to Go From Here--Lisa Feldman BarrettNeurophysiological Approaches to Understanding Behavior--Todd F. Heatherton, Anne C. Krendl, and Dylan D. Wagner