Observational analysis revealed that contextually relevant training improves marksmanship and decision-making in novices, suggesting significant impacts of experience.
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.
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Lair et al. (2025) studied this question.