Karakolis Thomas, Sinclair Brittany A, Kelly Alison, Terhaar Phil, Bossi Linda L M
Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, Canada.
Human Systems Incorporated, Guelph, Canada.
Hum Factors. 2017 Jun;59(4):535-545. doi: 10.1177/0018720816686611. Epub 2017 Jan 23.
Determine effect of orientation (introduction and familiarization) and practice (repeated performance) on human performance under various load conditions as assessed by an obstacle course.
Obstacle courses are commonly used as screening tools by military, police, and firefighters or to assess human capabilities and the effect of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and other occupationally necessary equipment on mobility task performance. Unfortunately, little is formally documented about the effect of orientation and practice on performance outcomes of obstacle or mobility courses being used.
Forty-eight participants were recruited from the Canadian Army Infantry and Combat Engineer population. Participants either received regular or extensive orientation of the course before completing it. Following orientation, participants completed the course five consecutive times while wearing their PPE with full fighting order (FFO) and five consecutive times while wearing no PPE and non-FFO across a five-day period (maximum two runs per day), with ensemble presentation order counterbalanced. Total course completion time and individual obstacle completion times were measured for each run of the course.
While wearing FFO, participants continued to decrease the time required for completing the course; however, while wearing non-FFO, time to course completion did not significantly change over the five runs. There were no differences in course completion times for the regular and extensive course orientation groups.
Considerations required to mitigate orientation and practicing effects can differ depending on type or complexity of load condition. While wearing FFO, practicing effects can introduce undesired confounding factors into data collection.
Any practice runs on an obstacle course prior to its use as an assessment tool should focus on the loaded (e.g., FFO) condition because improvement on loaded runs is likely transferred to unloaded, but this does not apply in the reverse.
通过障碍训练课程评估，确定在不同负荷条件下，定向（介绍与熟悉）和练习（重复执行）对人类表现的影响。
障碍训练课程通常被军队、警察和消防员用作筛选工具，或用于评估人类能力，以及穿着个人防护装备（PPE）和其他职业所需装备对移动任务表现的影响。遗憾的是，关于定向和练习对所使用的障碍或移动课程表现结果的影响，几乎没有正式的文献记载。
从加拿大陆军步兵和战斗工兵群体中招募了48名参与者。参与者在完成课程之前，要么接受常规的课程介绍，要么接受详细的课程介绍。介绍之后，参与者在五天内连续五次穿着全套战斗装备（FFO）的个人防护装备完成课程，同时连续五次不穿个人防护装备且不处于全套战斗装备状态完成课程（每天最多两次），装备展示顺序相互平衡。每次课程运行时测量总课程完成时间和各个障碍的完成时间。
穿着全套战斗装备时，参与者完成课程所需的时间持续减少；然而，不穿全套战斗装备时，在五次运行中课程完成时间没有显著变化。常规课程介绍组和详细课程介绍组的课程完成时间没有差异。
减轻定向和练习影响所需的考虑因素可能因负荷条件的类型或复杂性而异。穿着全套战斗装备时，练习效果可能会在数据收集中引入不必要的混杂因素。
在将障碍训练课程用作评估工具之前进行的任何练习，都应专注于负重（如全套战斗装备）状态，因为负重练习中的进步可能会转移到无负重状态，但反之则不适用。
