Analyzing communication sequences for team training needs assessment

Several models of team performance have suggested that a clearer understanding of team process is needed to determine better training formats and reduce crew-generated errors. The present study investigated the degree to which analyzing communication sequences would contribute to the understanding of effective crew process in two simulated night tasks. The results indicate that pattern analyses reveal additional strong differences between performance groups that would have been overlooked by simple frequency counts of communication. In each case, the sequential analysis shed additional light on the communication patterns that characterize better-performing teams. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for team performance research and team training. Potential applications of this research include training needs assessment, training design, and performance measurement after training.