Simulation of Three-person Cooperation – Effect of Mutual Beliefs on Team Performance

Many human factor studies have explored the cognitive and behavioral factors that affect team performance via verbal protocol and behavioral analyses. As the measurements used in these studies only focused on observable data, there is a fundamental limitation to understanding cognitive mechanisms. Computer simulation is an alternative method for exploring the cognitive aspects of human factors in team cooperation. In this study, we employed an extended mutual belief model to develop an agent-based simulation for a three-person team cooperation. This model describes the cognitive processes in a team of three or more. The results indicate that communication that is generated by mutual beliefs worked effectively and enhanced team performance. Our simulation method can potentially address the limitations of conventional human factor methods by exploring the cognitive aspects of team cooperation.