Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

While individual cognitive metrics have been shown to predict real-world task performance, their scalability to team behavior remains poorly understood. This study addresses the critical disconnect between individual cognitive abilities and team-based outcomes. We present an approach for studying this relationship using rich behavioral data collected from a virtual team-based task. Then, we further extend the analysis to show that these relationships can evolve with changes in team expertise. Regression models were used to predict performance across two dimensions of team skill, derived from an individual's ability to (1) perform task-specific actions (taskwork), and (2) coordinate their actions with others (teamwork). Individual performance across seven cognitive tasks were used as predictor variables. Results indicated significant associations between efficient information processing abilities and taskwork skill, in the game. Teamwork skill initially varied with visuospatial working memory. However, attention control predicted teamwork skill after sufficient practice in the task. Finally, independent measures of analytic intelligence reliably predicted both skills; however, task knowledge may have mediated that effect. Our results demonstrate that team performance is multifaceted, with distinct cognitive abilities contributing to various dimensions of team skill, at various stages of expertise.