Correlation between Headquarter Placement and Mirroring Collected Intel to Gain Knowledge on an Adversaries Headquarter Location based on Gender: An ISR Assessment

Abstract: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) analysts are provided with a tremendous amounts of information that needs to be accurately processed, exploited, and disseminated (PED) in order to provide our warfighters an advantage on the battlefield. Analysts can obtain valuable information about the enemy territory by using ISR, such as, imagery intelligence (IMINT), signals intelligence (SIGINT), human intelligence (HUMINT) (Boury-Brisset, Kolodny, and Pham, 2016). ISR analysts can have varying strategies when capturing intelligence and often gain experience and expertise on the job rather than learning the necessary skills in a training environment. To address this problem, ISR subject matter experts (SMEs) developed Intrage: an ISR tabletop board game to provide training to Air Force intelligence personnel to gain skills relevant to ISR operations. By investigating different aspects of gameplay, we can better understand the complex decision-making process that warfighters face day-to-day and enhance future trainings and technology development. For an example, a previous study on Intrage investigated whether military experience influenced headquarter placement. Evidence was found that individuals with military experience centralized their headquarter location compared to individuals with no military experience (Nelson et al., 2024). With this knowledge, we can modify and improve training to include a less predictable outcome. In addition to this found significance, demographic characteristics such as gender is a variable that could further this discovery and increase its impact. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if individuals mirrored headquarter placement with the adversary headquarter placement with respect to gender.Method: Before collecting data, the study protocol was approved by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Institutional Review Board (IRB). The goal of this study was to determine if a relationship exists with regards to mirroring headquarter placement and adversary headquarter placement collections based on gender. Participants were recruited via email from WPAFB and completed the task online through Qualtrics. A sample of participants (N = 50) were selected from 25 military and 25 non-military participants completed the research study. The sample consisted of 11 female and 39 male participants. The participant was provided with the study objectives and were instructed to place their headquarters within a single quadrant in the northern region (i.e., Region A, B, or C) of the map. Additionally, participants were able to collect four times in the southern region of the map (i.e., Region E, F, and G) in an attempt to identify the adversary headquarters. The four collects contained a honeycomb pattern.Analysis: Statistical analyses were conducted in Rstudio using functions from various packages (R Core Team, 2022). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between mirroring headquarters placement and adversary headquarter placement collections based on gender.Results: The ANOVA displayed a statistically significant difference detected with respect to mirroring headquarter placement and adversary headquarter placement collections based on gender (p = 0.04). Two of the eleven female participants (18%) conducted collections on the adversary in a mirroring manner with respect to identifying headquarter placement. Whereas twenty-one of the thirty-nine male participants (54%) conducted collections on the adversary in a mirroring manner with respect to identifying headquarter placement.Discussion: The findings of this study have provided underlying evidence that individuals headquarter placement often mirrors the adversary headquarter placement regarding gender. Additionally, more men mirrored headquarter placement than women; however, this should be investigated further with a greater sample size. As research continues, various findings will assist in the ongoing development and maturity of Intrage. In addition, future research should evaluate whether personality differences influence headquarter placement to mirror adversary headquarter placement.

Keywords: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Processed, Exploited, and Disseminated (PED)

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006280

Cite this paper:

​