Ann-Renee Blais

Predicting Risk-Sensitivity in Humans and Lower Animals: Risk as Variance or Coefficient of Variation

This article examines the statistical determinants of risk preference. In a meta-analysis of animal risk preference (foraging birds and insects), the coefficient of variation (CV), a measure of risk per unit of return, predicts choices far better than outcome variance, the risk measure of normative models. In a meta-analysis of human risk preference, the superiority of the CV over variance in predicting risk taking is not as strong. Two experiments show that peoples risk sensitivity becomes strongly proportional to the CV when they learn about choice alternatives like other animals, by experiential sampling over time. Experience-based choices differ from choices when outcomes and probabilities are numerically described. Zipfs law as an ecological regularity and Webers law as a psychological regularity may give rise to the CV as a measure of risk.

Domain-specificity and gender differences in decision making

This paper examines the effect of characteristics of the decision situation and of the decision maker on decision processes and outcomes in the context of risky choice. Male and female undergraduate students were presented with decisions from different domains of life. For each decision they indicated the likelihood with which they would use each of five decision modes (i.e., ways of making the decision): by following someones advice, by weighing pros and cons, by following their intuition, etc. They also chose between two courses of action described for each decision and rated the perceived riskiness of both alternatives. We found that the content domain of the decision and/or the gender (or the interaction of both) of the decision maker influenced decision mode usage, and risk perception, behavior, and preference (derived within a risk-return model of risky choice). These results have implications for educational interventions and decision aids that attempt to influence or change the risky decisions of target populations.

The Development and Validation of the Army Post-Deployment Reintegration Scale

For military personnel, the post-deployment period can be associated with changes affecting their quality of life, the quality of their close relationships, and their attitudes concerning their military careers. There is, however, little published research concerning this process, and a major weakness of the previous work is the lack of an established measuring instrument. This article describes the development of the Army Post-deployment Reintegration Scale assessing the attitudes of military personnel in three key areas. Study 1 found support for a multidimensional model of post-deployment reintegration attitudes. Study 2 refined the dimensionality of the model to the positive and negative aspects of personal, family, and work reintegration and reduced the length of the scale to 36 items and provided preliminary evidence of its factorial validity and internal consistency reliabilities. Finally, in Study 3, the subscales were correlated in predicted ways with personal- and organizational-level outcomes (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], organizational commitment).

Towards a Better Understanding of Post-Deployment Reintegration

Although researchers have examined the 6–12 month period after which service members return home from an overseas deployment, their studies often focus on members’ mental and physical health (e.g., whether or not the member is displaying symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or a minor traumatic brain injury). In this chapter, we take a different approach to the post-deployment reintegration period, focusing instead on the positive and negative experiences and perceptions associated with three domains that returning service members have told us are important: reintegrating back into a garrison work environment, reintegrating back into one’s family, and integrating the deployment experiences into one’s personal identity. In addition, the chapter describes the development and validation of the Post-Deployment Reintegration Scale (PDRS), which we created to support our research, as well as the construction and use of norms for the PDRS. Finally, we focus on single service members, looking at the degree to which marital status and whether or not someone has dependents influence the post-deployment reintegration experiences and perceptions captured by the PDRS.

Battlefield Trauma Training: A Pilot Study Comparing the Effects of Live Tissue vs. High-Fidelity Patient Simulator on Stress, Cognitive Function, and Performance

Within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), the Tactical Medicine (TACMED) course is used to train medical technicians (i.e., medics) in battlefield trauma care. Although training is administered using both simulators (SIM) and live tissue (LT), little is known about their relative effects on stress and cognitive function in this context. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a pilot study and collected self-report (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]) and biological measures of stress (salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA]), as well as working memory (WM) and short-term memory (STM) data from medics (N = 20) assigned randomly to training and skill assessment using either SIM or LT. Skill assessment resulted in the elevation of STAI scores and salivary cortisol and DHEA levels. WM and STM performance were better at the time of skill assessment, and WM performance exhibited a positive correlation with salivary cortisol level. Salivary cortisol and DHEA levels, STAI scores, and memory performance did not predict pass/fail rates on combat casualty care skills. Although the TACMED course was associated with elevated stress and improved memory performance, those effects were not affected by the training modality. We end by discussing lessons learned from our pilot study and highlight outstanding questions that remain to be addressed in future studies on this topic.

What Would I Do? Civilians' Ethical Decision Making in Response to Military Dilemmas

This research explored the ethical decision-making process of civilians in response to real-world military dilemmas. Results revealed the complexity of these dilemmas, with about equal proportions of civilians choosing each of two response options. The moral intensity dimension of social consensus significantly predicted moral judgment in both dilemmas, whereas that of magnitude of consequences did so in only one dilemma, partially supporting our hypothesis. Both dimensions were significant predictors of moral intent in both dilemmas as was moral judgment, also supporting our hypotheses. We conclude with suggestions for future research questions in this compelling area.

The Enhancement of Mental Models and its Impact on Teamwork

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether enhancing team mental models (TMM), more specifically task models and team interaction models, improved teamwork in dynamic situations. Measures of performance, coordination, and communication were collected during a forest firefighting simulation task (C3Fire) and compared across three learning conditions. The purpose of these learning conditions was to either enhance task TMM by providing additional information on environmental dynamics or team TMM by providing additional information on the roles of each team member and possible interaction strategies. In the control condition, no additional information was provided. Also, task complexity was varied through transparency of courses of action (COA). The results showed better team performance and coordination in conditions with a more obvious COA. However, there was no significant effect of learning condition on team effectiveness. A trend in the data suggests that teams given additional information on team interaction or task factors spent more time communicating. These findings are discussed in the context of previous research and potential avenues for future investigations.

Military Ethical Decision Making: The Effects of Option Choice and Perspective Taking on Moral Decision-Making Processes and Intentions

We investigated the ethical decision-making processes and intentions of 151 military personnel responding to 1 of 2 ethical scenarios drawn from the deployment experiences of military commanders. For each scenario, option choice and perspective affected decision-making processes. Differences were also found between the 2 scenarios. Results add to the emerging literature concerning operational ethical conflicts and highlight the complexity and challenge that often accompanies operational ethics.

Mental Health Services Use Intentions Among Canadian Military Recruits

Identifying the factors associated with mental health services use (MHSU) is an important step in developing strategies to improve services access and delivery. The aims of the present study were to (a) identify personality and individual difference characteristics associated with MHSU intentions within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and (b) explore complex relationships that might exist between these characteristics and determinants of MHSU intentions identified in TPB, including attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Data for 244 Canadian Armed Forces recruits who completed a MHSU questionnaire following mental health training were linked to personality data collected earlier. Multivariate analyses showed that the relationship between agreeableness and MHSU intentions was mediated by instrumental attitudes and subjective norms. The relationship between hardiness and MHSU intentions was mediated by subjective norms and self-efficacy. Findings suggest it may be worthwhile to consider mental health education initiatives to improve MHSU.