Experience Reinforced Decision Making

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making

• and when not to use it

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making

• Evolution of this Discussion/Presentation
• Define the term in context
• Explore its use in the emergency services
• Review some research theory of
• Naturalistic Decision Making
• and when not to use it
• Identify and discuss issues that make it
  ineffective or less effective
• Discuss ways to improve process and outcomes in
  those situations
• Comments, Questions, Open Forum

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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingEvolution
of this Discussion/Presentation
A PRESENTATION

• COVERING ISTIC DECISION-MAKING

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making Define the
term in context
Context Fire Emergency Incident
Command EMS Medics / Pre-hospital emergency
care
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Experience Reinforced Decision Making Define the
term in context

• The use of training, experience, and emotional
  control to quickly make good operational
  decisions by assessing the situation both
  intuitively and rationally.

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making Define the
term in context

• Key components
• Training education
• Critiqued experience
• Emotional Control

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making ERD in
Emergency Services

• On-Scene Factors
• Vast quantity of sensory input to process
• Rapidly changing conditions
• Multiple complex operational options
• Significant stressors that can affect
  decision-making
• Time/Life/Safety..

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making ERD in
Emergency Services

• Factors that facilitate
• Single point entry
• Mentoring profession
• Training Focus
• Other models dont work well
• Significantly self-regulating

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making ERD in
Emergency Services

• Factors that debilitate
• Fewer fires
• Not true of medical runs
• Retention of experienced practitioners
• Significantly self-regulating

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making Research
Theory

• Naturalistic Decision Making
• Combines rational and intuitive models
• Experienced agents
• Complex conditions
• Personal consequences
• Situational awareness problem solving as part
  of the decision making process

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making Research
Theory

• Recognition Primed Decision-Making
• RPD
• One model of Naturalistic Decision-Making
• Identified by Dr. Gary Klein
• Developed by studying experienced fire ground
  commanders
• First considered option is viable (key component)

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• Recognition Primed Decision-Making
• Three phases
• Original Two Phase Model
• Simple Match
• First considered action plan is implemented
• Evaluate a Course of Action
• Plan is evaluated for problems by mental
  simulation
• Added Phase
• Diagnose the Situation
• Situation is diagnosed via pattern matching
  and/or story building

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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingWhen not to
use it

• When the experience does not fit the situation
• Knowledge Experience Expertise
• Stress tolerance has been exceeded

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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingWhen not to
use it

• When the experience does not fit
• The decision maker does not have broad enough
  experience
• The situation is not typical
• Very obvious
• Subtle

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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingWhen not to
use it

• Knowledge Experience Expertise
• Knowledge base not broad or up to date
• Experience not critiqued well
• On outcomes only
• Not enough perspectives
• Not objective

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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingWhen not to
use it
The decision makers stress tolerance has been
exceeded
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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingPrinciples

• Knowledge is easily attainable
• Experience is random (type) and ad-hoc
  (frequency)
• More experience is better than less
• Critiquing experience well is essential
• Knowledge and critiqued experience in some
  proportion expertise

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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingPrinciples

• There is a stress threshold above which stress
  has a negative effect on decision making
• Knowledge and experience raise the stress
  tolerance
• We use the ERD methodology automatically when we
  gain enough experience to reinforce our knowledge
  base

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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingImproving
the process

• Increase knowledge
• Critique experience on
• Process (Operations)
• Outcomes
• Critique experience by
• Self
• Peer
• Mentors
• Supervisors

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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingImproving
the process

• Use simulations in training
• Use decision making games in training
• Understand the stress threshold and practice
  emotional control
• Steal experience from peers
• Use experience as a factor in assignments of
  future leaders

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Experience Reinforced Decision MakingSummary

• There is a synergy between knowledge, critiqued
  experience, and emotional control that allows
  on-scene decision makers to make effective
  decisions more quickly and more intuitively than
  traditional rational models.
• We do it naturally, but we can improve our use of
  the method.
• Understanding when not to trust it implicitly may
  improve operations and outcomes.

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Experience Reinforced Decision Making
Thank You

• and when not to use it