The Cognitive Science Behind the Brain Game

Situational Awareness and Behavioural Observation Skills

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Understanding how the brain functions under pressure gives us an extraordinary advantage in developing high-performance skills like situational awareness and behavioural detection.

➔ These are core competency life skills anybody can develop. By harnessing principles from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and decision-making theory, anyone can build these skills more effectively and sustainably. These are 21st century approaches that leave behind old school traditional methods of teaching.

In particular, the use of cognitive load theory, habit formation, and heuristic decision-making tools provides a robust and accessible system for training the brain to observe and respond with clarity.

At the root of this system is the recognition that the brain has a limited capacity for conscious attention and decision-making at any given time. This concept, grounded in cognitive load theory (Sweller, 1988), tells us that when the brain is overloaded with stimuli or decision pressure, its performance declines sharply.

This cognitive overload results in slower reaction times, reduced memory recall, and impaired judgment. These symptoms are detrimental to anyone trying to stay alert, pick up on subtle behavioural cues, or assess fast-changing environments.

For this reason, the first step in building situational awareness and behavioural detection skills is reducing unnecessary mental effort and developing habitual observation and alertness.

➔ This is where the power of habits comes into play. Habits are automatic behaviours encoded in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain responsible for pattern recognition and routine action.

Research by Duhigg (2012) and later supported by neuroscience studies (Yin & Knowlton, 2006) shows that once a behaviour becomes habitual, it requires little to no cognitive energy to perform. For instance, when a person habitually scans for exits upon entering a room, or habitually observes the hands of those around them, these micro-observations become seamless and do not tax conscious thought.

This automation frees up mental bandwidth to process new or unexpected data—precisely what is required for situational awareness.

By layering such habits into daily routines, the learner begins to build a behavioural baseline that supports vigilance. Instead of consciously reminding oneself to stay alert, the brain runs a programme of background observation.

This enhances the ability to detect deviations from the norm, an essential aspect of behavioural detection. The key is to consciously build these habits through deliberate practice until they become subconscious. For example, security professionals might train themselves to always conduct a 360-degree scan every time they enter a room.

Over time, this becomes second nature, and the brain no longer spends energy deciding to do it, it simply does it.

In tandem with habit formation, heuristic decision-making plays a critical role in reducing mental burden while improving effectiveness. Heuristics are mental shortcuts that simplify complex decisions.

➔ As noted by Tversky and Kahneman (1974), heuristics are not just cognitive crutches, they are essential tools for survival, allowing us to make fast, effective judgments with limited information. In the context of behavioural observation, this might include using a baseline versus anomaly heuristic.

First observe what is normal in a given setting, then focus attention on anything that deviates from that norm. This simple rule allows the brain to scan large amounts of sensory and behavioural information without being overwhelmed.

This mental shortcut approach accelerates the decision-making process and increases detection accuracy. Research in applied cognitive psychology (Gigerenzer & Gaissmaier, 2011) shows that in uncertain or fast-moving environments, heuristics often outperform slower, more analytical thinking.

Heuristics can also support emotional regulation, which is critical when developing situational awareness. Overload can trigger stress responses that cloud judgment. Using a simple heuristic such as, If I feel overwhelmed, then pause and breathe for 10 seconds builds in an automatic response to regulate internal state.

This combines both a habit and a heuristic and allows practitioners to stay calm and maintain observation quality even under stress.

When combined, the use of habits and heuristics forms a scalable cognitive system. Habits automate foundational observation behaviours. Heuristics provide a lightweight but effective decision framework. Together, they create a feedback loop that enhances performance.

For instance, a person who habitually checks their environment (habit) and prioritises their attention based on behavioural anomalies (heuristic) is far more effective than someone relying solely on raw focus or willpower. This system is particularly powerful because it is adaptable. Users can refine and evolve their habits and heuristics based on experience and feedback.

Furthermore, the science supports that these systems are highly trainable. Neuroplasticity research (Draganski et al., 2006) shows that the brain rewires itself based on repeated practice. By consistently applying these mental strategies, individuals can structurally change how their brain processes environmental and behavioural data.

This means the skills don’t just improve temporarily; they become embedded.

➔ Even more encouraging is that this system can be accelerated. Trainers can engineer environments that provide strong systems to lock in new behaviours quickly.

In summary, understanding and applying the science of habits, cognitive load, and heuristics is not just useful for developing situational awareness and behavioural detection, it is the ideal system.

It works with the brain, not against it. It scales with experience. And it dramatically reduces the burden of learning high-stakes observational skills for anybody. The results are not just theoretical, they are visible in sharper judgment, faster reactions, and increased confidence in all environments.

That is the power of applying science to skill development.

The Mildot Situational Awareness & Behavioural Observation elearning Course leverages the science and provides all the tools you need to help accelerate your learning and develop habitual behaviours.

To sign up to this game changing eLearning Course, follow this link

References:

Draganski, B., Gaser, C., Busch, V., Schuierer, G., Bogdahn, U. and May, A., 2006. Neuroplasticity: Changes in grey matter induced by training. Nature, 427(6972), pp.311–312.

Duhigg, C., 2012. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change. New York: Random House.

Gigerenzer, G. and Gaissmaier, W., 2011. Heuristic decision making. Annual Review of Psychology, 62, pp.451–482.

Sweller, J., 1988. Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), pp.257–285.

Tversky, A. and Kahneman, D., 1974. Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Science, 185(4157), pp.1124–1131.

Yin, H.H. and Knowlton, B.J., 2006. The role of the basal ganglia in habit formation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7(6), pp.464–476.