A Measure of Situation Apprehension, Outcome Prediction and Performance in One Microworld

In this article a measurement method of situation apprehension and outcome prediction is examined psychometrically. This method has its inspiration in Spearman’s theory of intelligence and constitutes an alternative to the concepts of situation awareness and sense making. The measurement approach of certain aspects of understanding that is examined here is specific to the decision making environment (microworld) used, but its general properties, however, should be rather widely applicable. Using one microworld – CFire – and an assessment technique of situation apprehension and prediction ability, we studied the relationships between apprehension, prediction, and performance in the microworld. These results indicate that the measurement method used may be psychometrically sound and thus a viable alternative to current approaches to understanding, such as situation awareness and sense making.