Improving Marksmanship Through Contextually Relevant Threat Training

High-pressure use-of-force training situations (engaging an armed actor with simulated munitions, wearing stimulus equipment [e.g., shock belts], live fire exercises, or operating in a noisy environment) resulted in a 14.8% reduction in marksmanship accuracy. High-pressure conditions also decreased decision-making accuracy and participant reaction times. However, an individual’s operational experience was shown to be a mitigating factor on the impact of high-pressure conditions on marksmanship performance with additional years of experience providing a progressively greater positive impact on performance. Contextually relevant training interventions for novice practitioners were demonstrated to confer similar benefits to years of operational experience.