Cognitive De-biasing Strategies for Critical, Time Sensitive - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Cognitive De-biasing Strategies for Critical, Time Sensitive Decision- making in Austere Environmental Emergencies What I Learned Spending 14 hours Peeing In My Wetsuit - Andrew Munoz

Objectives Identify cognitive centers Isolate biases Inoculate against stress

The Early Years “Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement” – Mark Twain

Setting the stage • Dec 5 th , 2015. • 6 cavers on a trip to Cascade Cave, Port Alberni B.C., Canada • During the exit, one cavers becomes entrapped in Swift Water • Trapped for 21 hours Jason Storie, the trapped caver in question, relives the scene of his rescue in the “Bastards Crawl”, approximately 200ft below the surface

Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman (Ret) Soldier 82 nd Airborne, 9 th Infantry, 7 th Light Infantry Author On Combat, Stop Teaching our Kids to Kill, On Killing Psychologist “Killology”, Grossman Academy

System 1 vs. System 2 Grossman would tell us that all decisions can be grouped into System 1 or System 2 thinking – reflex vs reflection.

How fast do you think my heart is beating? • Resting rate determined by physical fitness, baseline stress, sleep hygiene & caffeine use BLACK • HR pathway is two way – regression is achievable • HIB- GIA “had it before – got it again” • Recognition primed decision (R.P.D.) making helps to dampen stress response

System 1 is you’re default and you don’t even know it… 5. Amygdala blocks “slow” thinking 4. Amygdala does quick threat assessment 3. Data also sent to Cortex “fight or flight” 1. Sensory Data sent to Thalamus 2. Data sent to Amygdala 6. Unthinking response without Cortex stimulation

How can we hope to beat bias? Colonel John Boyd (deceased) • 40 second Boyd pilot • E-M theory = F-15 Eagle • OODA loop • Gödel's incompleteness theorem • Heisenberg's uncertainty principle psychologist • Second law of thermodynamics • Aerial attack study • Maneuver warfare iconoclast • Desert Storm

No, of course it can’t! COMMAND IQ Physiology “OO - OO” HIB-GIA LOOP Can’t progress Get off the “X”

Recognition Primed Decision-making “R.P.D.” Stimulus Speed up Things we OODA Recognition do/see often loop Amygdala hardening

Limbic Learning - Visual cortex - Visual cortex firing in response firing in to fearful response to stimulus same stimulus - Amygdala and - Amygdala Limbic system “Hardened” = responding to no fear fear

Train like you Fight 130% Stress Neuroplasticity • Do the basics better • Limbic learning • Stay flexible than anyone else consolidates lessons • Adapt with the •Don’t train till you • Training in High changing objectives – get it right – train till Fidelity helps identify Don’t “OO - OO” you can’t get it wrong biases • Ask disconfirming •We don’t rise to the •You don’t “feel” if it’s questions occasion – we fail to not “real” the level of our training

The Stress You Could Live Without Lack Of Control Pain Sleep Issues Mental/Emotional STRESS Good & Bad Meal Timing

The Stress You Need to Perform HPA Axis Cascade Corticotropic Releasing Hormone High Cortisol Levels Inhibit Hypothalamus Stimulation Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

What to do with it all??? Checklists “ Don’t forget to fly the plane” Cognitive Rally Points “Don’t get caught out in the open” Stay Flexible “R.P.D. can leave you vulnerable to the mundane”