Risk taking, decision making, and stress factors are strongly associated in military operations.

The authors used the

Bond and Lader mood and alertness scale and a new scale, Evaluation of Risks (EVAR), to assess risk proneness in
a maritime counter-terrorism exercise. EVAR items are distributed among five factors: self-control, danger seeking,
energy, impulsiveness, and invincibility. In the study, 10 pilots were submitted to strenuous night flights with
limited sleep deprivation. Compared with baseline data, pilots reported an increase in impulsiveness, whereas EVAR
factors were consistent in a control group composed of 9 navy crew member. Correlations were observed between
mood and alertness and risk factors. These results illustrate how EVAR can be used to evaluate change in risk
proneness in individuals submitted to various stressors. But further studies are required to weigh stress factors and
environmental conditions in risk propensity with a larger population of various age and personality traits.

Introduction

A tactical situation during military special operations is subject to rapid change, and the wide range of combat
situations that can be encountered cannot be fully anticipated. Besides fluctuating tactical conditions, military
personnel engaged in special operations have to cope with a harsh environment, including combat stress, fatigue,
sleep deprivation, heat or cold stress, etc. Proper situational awareness and decision making in these conditions are
critical. McDonald et al., comparing graduates and dropouts of a U.S. Navy special forces training program, found
that successful trainees showed a higher managerial ability that emphasizes decision-making skills1. Decision
making involves a complex series of psychological processes and is influenced by several factors: context, cognitive
factors, motivation, emotional status, personality traits, and collective and social factors.2 Decision making and risk
taking are related in that we are constantly required to compare, evaluate, and manage risk in order to make a
decision.