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ERIC Number: EJ1460990
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Dec
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2365-7464
Available Date: 2025-02-21
Beyond Boundaries: A Location-Based Toolkit for Quantifying Group Dynamics in Diverse Contexts
Seth Elkin-Frankston1,3; James McIntyre3; Tad T. BrunyƩ1,3; Aaron L. Gardony1,3; Clifford L. Hancock2; Meghan P. O'Donovan2; Victoria G. Bode2; Eric L. Miller3,4
Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, v10 Article 10 2025
Existing toolkits for analyzing movement dynamics in animal ecology primarily focus on individual or group behavior in habitats without predefined boundaries, while methods for studying human activity often cater to bounded environments, such as team sports played on defined fields. This leaves a gap in tools for modeling and analyzing human group dynamics in large-scale, unbounded, or semi-constrained environments. Examples of such contexts include tourist groups, cycling teams, search and rescue teams, and military units. To address this issue, we survey existing methods and metrics for characterizing individual and collective movement in humans and animals. Using a rich GPS dataset from groups of military personnel engaged in a foot march, we develop a comprehensive, general-purpose toolkit for quantifying group dynamics using location-based metrics during goal-directed movement in open environments. This toolkit includes a repository of Python functions for extracting and analyzing movement data, integrating cognitive factors such as decision-making, situational awareness, and group coordination. By extending location-based analytics to non-traditional domains, this toolkit enhances the understanding of collective movement, group behavior, and emergent properties shaped by cognitive processes. To demonstrate its practical utility, we present a use case utilizing metrics derived from the foot march data to predict group performance during a subsequent strategic and tactical exercise, highlighting the influence of cognitive and decision-making behaviors on team effectiveness.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2123/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1934553; 1931978; W911QY1920003
Author Affiliations: 1Cognitive Science Branch, US Army DEVCOM Soldier Center, Natick, USA; 2Biomechanics and Engineering Branch, US Army DEVCOM Soldier Center, Natick, USA; 3Tufts University, Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Medford, USA; 4Tufts University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Medford, USA