Performance under acute stress: A qualitative study of soldiers’ experiences of hand-to-hand combat.

Abstract

The chief aim of this study was to obtain in-depth descriptions of soldiers’ first-person experiences of hand-to-hand combat during wartime operations using a stress and coping framework (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). The results of phenomenological interviews revealed 4 major themes which, based on several participants’ own words, were labeled “immediate threat,” “flip the switch,” “fast,” and “adrenaline.” It was concluded that the hand-to-hand combat experiences of these soldiers (a) imposed stressors from a variety of sources, (b) required coping responses comprising a swift and accurate interpretation of environmental conditions and rapid deployment of problemfocused strategies, and (c) evoked a constellation of powerful physiological and psychological reactions. Implications of this study for military personnel include the importance of “expecting the unexpected” in seemingly routine yet potentially hazardous combat operations, an emphasis on developing highly automated, problem-focused coping strategies and physical fighting skills, and the need for training in variable and unpredictable environments that demand rapid skill adaptations to context specific stressors.

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