Empirical analysis of systematic communication errors

Abstract

This study is concerned with the causality of systematic communication errors encountered in Marine land combat operations in Vietnam. Source data was compiled from an examination of after-action reports maintained at USMC Archives, Washington, D. C. The fundamentals of Information and Communication Theory are explored first, in an effort to understand the phenomena (psychological and physiological capabilities and limitations) affecting the "human link" in information and communication systems. This background served as the foundation regarding the development of a communication error model to explain the anomalies encountered in human behavior in military operations of high intensity. From this model, inferences were made regarding the practicality of implementing Decision Support System's (DSS's) to eliminate the systematic communication errors discovered.