Page 120 - 2022 Spring JSOM

many that can support fitness goals and initiatives. Preserv- and abilities (KSA), 2) domain-specific knowledge (e.g., mili-
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ing health, reducing occupational risk, and enhancing perfor- tary in general), and 3) contextual intelligence (e.g., microcul-
mance require efforts that span across multiple domains of the ture, history and philosophy of the unit, formal and informal
TFF model. These efforts encompass comprehensive lifestyle structures). Cultivating contextual and cultural understand-
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considerations and embody a biopsychosocial model. Issues ing afforded through the embedded approach would allow
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that impact performance are often complex. And yet service performance psychology professionals to have a clear under-
delivery often happens in silos for each domain of TFF. For standing of their unit’s training goals and performance expec-
example, the anxiety a pilot reports feeling when landing a he- tations. A model of embedding performance psychology assets
licopter could reflect clinical issues or trauma, or nonclinical, with units and the impact of tier 2 and 3 knowledge, skills,
performance-based anxiety, which can be managed through and abilities is currently being evaluated by the Walter Reed
teaching mental skills. However, the overuse of caffeine, ex- Army Institute of Research.
acerbated by sleep difficulties, or triggered by causes rooted
in physical health may also spur anxiety. Without a holistic Evolving Training Beyond the
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paradigm, an accurate and thorough root cause analysis re- Classroom to the Field
mains limited. Within the broader field of performance psychology, perfor-
mance is defined as: “Performance involves the development
Further, psychological services are available across the HPO of context-specific KSA over time and then the recollection
spectrum and many opportunities exist to support health and use of these KSA during a discrete event. Performance
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and performance (Figure 1). Applied to all TFF domains, the entails working toward some accomplishment, which is usu-
model outlines how individual HPO assets can offer resources ally measured against some standard of success. There is an
as well as aid Servicemembers’ understanding of the support expectation for how the KSA are put into action; thus, the
available based on their current condition and needs. The execution of the KSA is evaluated by the performer and oth-
HPO spectrum also helps break down the false dichotomy that ers.” Within this model of performance development, the ac-
efforts to remediate illness exclude opportunities to enhance quisition of knowledge can take place in a classroom setting,
performance or build on competencies: both can be pursued but recent research in applied sports psychology highlights the
concurrently and cooperatively. Similarities, differences, and need for performers to practice the application of mental skills
overlaps between resilience and performance efforts should in scenarios that accurately reflect the demands of the specific
guide coordination and collaboration of performance services performance context and environment. 35
with clinical and behavioral health services. Conceptualizing
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HPO through this holistic lens punctuates the need to enable Thus, traditional psychoeducational approaches of classroom
better collaboration and communication among medical and style lectures and presentations should be used less, in favor of
performance professionals serving the military. Embedded integrating applied mental skills into existing military train-
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assets must work together to promote a continuum of excel- ing. Embedded practitioners have many opportunities to effec-
lent holistic care rather than operate in silos. In other words, tively integrate performance concepts directly into the unit’s
this means facilitating referrals and working collaboratively to established military training without interrupting or adding
strive towards meaningful goals for Servicemembers. to their schedule. Meshing the evidence-based practice within
the contextual and cultural norms of the military unit sets
Shifting Toward Embedded and Precision Applications the conditions for maximizing skill transfer to a performance
Providing education and training in mental skills or resilience context. 36,37 Due to the variety of job tasks within and across
protective factors began as the focus of performance psychol- units, the embedded practitioner has the unique responsibility
ogy applications. Psychoeducational approaches were com- to shape services to meet the functional demands of the warf-
monplace and offered by practitioners who were not necessarily ighter. Loney provided a thorough example of how an embed-
embedded with specific units. Although these efforts contribute ded practitioner approached integration into a unit as part of
to the development of generalized psychological skills and ca- a human performance team. This paper also highlighted the
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pabilities, such approaches could be burdensome for units with importance of developing training applications through col-
high operational tempo and scarce discretionary training time. laboration with experienced professionals.
To better understand the impact of performance psychology,
its delivery should move toward services focused on enhance- The efficacy of performance psychology training can be further
ments of occupation-based CT and unit MET and delivered by bolstered by using a Constraints-Led Approach (CLA). CLA
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embedded practitioners who have intimate knowledge of the is a sports-oriented model for learning new skills. It leverages
contextual and cultural dimensions of a specific unit. the deliberate manipulation of constraints involved in learning
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the skill (individual, task) and the environment to provide the
Applied performance psychology in the military should follow performer with opportunities to weigh perceptual information
tenets of evidence-based practice of psychology which include provided by a particular performance context. By using CLA,
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three components relevant to the competence of performance CT and MET, goals can be clarified, which are often executed
psychology professionals: (1) research related to the psycholog- in volatile and dynamic situations requiring constant assess-
ical field (e.g., psychological aspects of optimal performance), ments and re-assessments of interactions and observations
(2) practitioners’ knowledge and skills of this research, and (3) across the individual, task, and environment. The CLA helps
practitioners’ abilities to apply research for clients based on the deconstruct the task, environment, and individual factors that
individual, group and organization. Embedded experts bring can impact performance. For example, applying CLA to train
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a significant knowledge base on human performance, and are an individual shooting task could include changing the size of
informed by theories derived from formal research. Perfor- targets (environment), time limits to engage them (task) and/
mance psychology practitioner competence can be described or visual occlusion of the shooter (individual). In this instance,
as encompassing three tiers: 1) foundational knowledge, skills, the benefit of the CLA is that it enables the practitioner to

118 | JSOM Volume 22, Edition 1 / Sping 2022