Behaviour generation: variability and choice

Human variability, or human variation, is often used to refer to the range of possible values for any measurable human characteristic (mental or physical). Examples such as the ability to learn, differences in physical strength or endurance, all may serve as moderators to behaviour in some contexts. Expanding the definition of human variability to include the range of possible behavioural outcomes, or behavioural variability, which may be observed for any given human operating within an operational context (e.g., the representation of fight versus flight behaviour), provides a significant challenge for the modelling community. In the context of improving realism and increasing the predictive abilities of Human Behaviour Models (HBMs), developing accurate and representational models of behavioural variability remains a desirable yet elusive goal. Indeed, the NATO M&S Master Plan (NATO, 1998) notes that current computational models and simulations of operator and entity behaviour do not adequately represent human performance, neither at the individual nor the small group level. Current Computer Generated Forces (CGFs) rely largely on rule-based behaviours that are tied closely to doctrine, and while doctrine is often modelled, it is seldom observed in a pure form in practice. Predictability (i.e., lack of variability), based on textbook doctrine, may be desired for preliminary instruction or training basic skill development, but it is inadequate for advanced training in decision making, situation assessment, experimentation with tactics, or the evaluation of novel systems and procedures. This session will attempt to clarify a number of questions that remain unanswered with respect to modelling behavioural variability. Are there adequate analysis techniques that can be leveraged to generate an adequate understanding of the factors underlying behavioural variability? How do we integrate the generation of behavioural alternatives and provide a mechanism from which these alternatives are executed? How does one characterize appropriate versus inappropriate behaviour, and how does behaviour relate to the concept of error?