Abstract
Tests such as the Eriksen Flanker Task, and the Cue and Go test are commonly used to directly measure police cadet cognitive performance. A light board task is a type of cognitive task that typically involves the use of a visual board, often illuminated, to assess or stimulate cognitive processes such as attention, perception, memory, and executive functioning. There is little to no information about comparisons made between lightboard cognitive performance and marksmanship accuracy within the police cadet population. PURPOSE: Evaluate the correlations found between lightboard cognitive tasks (Tactical 1, Tactical 2) and police cadet marksmanship scores. METHODS: 12 police cadets (n = 4 female; n = 8 male) participated in both cognitive lightboard task and a standard marksmanship test. Marksmanship data was collected via academy firearms qualification testing and scores were based on the proximity to the center of the target. Lightboard data was collected via the Dynavision D2 machine, with tests (Tactical 1, Tactical 2) being designed to measure cognitive performance under stimulated stress. Tactical 1&2 involved decision making and performance under more complex conditions. A Pearson’s r correlation was used to analyze the relationship between marksmanship total score and light board “total hit" scores. RESULTS: Overall marksmanship scores had a statically significant strong positive correlation with tactical 1 total hits (r = 0.687, p = 0.007), and a statistically significant, moderately strong positive correlation with tactical 2 total hits (r = 0.520, p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: Lightboard cognitive scores may have a predictive property to marksmanship scores. Further research could facilitate using lightboard cognitive testing for visuomotor deficiency detection for marksmanship performance, along with supporting potential intervention strategies.
Recommended Citation
Jabai, Hussien; Justice, Micah; Oldham, Michael; and Bernhardt, Vipa
(2025)
"Correlating Visuomotor and Cognitive Assessments to Marksmanship in Police Cadets,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
17, Article 58.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss17/58
