A computational model for naturalistic decision-making in the context of military simulations

Modeling and simulation systems play an important role in today's military organizations for many reasons, an important one being training. To be used in training operations, the entities modeled in these systems must demonstrate some realistic behaviors of their corresponding human counterpart. Modular Semi-Automated-Forces (ModSAF), a major army simulation system, is used to simulate tasks up to company level operations. The models used in that system, implemented with finite state machines, are satisfactory in simulating simple behaviors, but fail to render realistic complex behaviors, especially for company level operations.; Naturalistic decision-making (NDM) models, a new research field in cognitive psychology, has proved to better represent the military decision-making process. Based on this theory, the experience of officers greatly influences the generation of plans for particular operations. Because of the lack of computational models for NDM, this thesis studies the implementation of a particular model, based on NDM theory, which is proposed as an aid for solving the problem of realism for complex behaviors in military simulation systems. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...