Neural Systems in Intelligence and Training Applications - Neurotechnology in National Security and Defense - page 26

to a more top-down process to link extracted data to support or refute the hypotheses.
If at any point additional data are required to validate the evolving “story,” the foraging
cycle is reentered to further gather supportive or contrary information.
Due to the high ambiguity and limited reliability of intelligence sources, along
with the effort of data interpretation, analysts represent a key component in any
authentic processing of intelligence sources. It is therefore important to effectively
train and support intelligence personnel in those skills required in high-level analy-
sis. Leading-edge training techniques for intelligence operations are currently
being developed that combine intensive instruction, simulated practical exercises,
and maximum leveraging of emerging technologies (George and Ehlers 2008).
Neurotechnology represents one such technological advance that could be used to
enhance training, particularly during both the foraging and sense-making loops.

NEUROTECHNOLOGY FOR MEASUREMENT, DIAGNOSIS,
AND MEDIATION OF FORAGING SKILLS
“While predictions about future applications of technology are always speculative,
emergent neurotechnology may well help to . . . enhance [the] training techniques” of
the IC (National Research Council 2008, 6). Specifically, neurotechnology could be
used to enhance the measurement, diagnosis, and mediation of foraging skills during
training. When using bottom-up processing, foraging involves the searching/filtering
and reading/extracting of data sources (see Figure 3.1). The search and filter activi-
ties focus on supporting information retrieval, which involves the bottom-up strategy
of defining a “target” (e.g., high-value individual, infiltrator, rogue element, physi-
cal system, insurgent camp, area of operation) for which relevant data are collected
(Bodnar 2005; Pirolli and Card 2005). The objective of the read and extract activities
is to support evidence extraction, which involves reading records and extracting bits
of evidence that are relevant to the target. When using top-down processing, foraging
involves searching for relations from collected information and searching for infor-
mation from collected data sources (see Figure 3.1). The search for relations activ-
ity focuses on researching documents that have previously been accumulated into a
“shoebox,” which are thought to be related to the current hypothesis. The objective
of the search for information activity is to seek available external data sources to dig
deeper and identify new leads regarding the current hypothesis.
The heart of foraging, whether bottom-up or top-down, is thus to collect “nuggets”
of evidence from relevant data sources that can be used to support sense-making
(Bodnar 2005). When training foraging skills, neurotechnology could be used to
monitor an analyst's processing of data sources, diagnose how well they determine
“relevance” and formulate “nuggets,” and trigger mediation when shortcomings are
found. Specifically, during training of foraging skills, neurotechnology could be used
for the following purposes:

• Measure:

• Determine when and what data elements analysts are reading/viewing

and which they are discarding to assess if the search is balanced, com-
plete, and objective.