AvMed.IN, re NDM, this involves ‘experience’ and thus I agree is relevant to the thread.
NDM uses situation assessment as a baseline; good awareness helps quell surprise / stress; it provides external knowledge or can trigger memory-knowledge to solve the problems in the situation – using experience – learnt from real life scenarios.
My understanding is that NDM indicates how humans make decision in certain circumstances. Thus all of us (including aviation), could behave this way, but as yet it is not fully explainable and thus not able to be taught, only compared – see refs below, ‘experts vs novices’. Fire-fighters were used in the initial research.
Some areas of aviation have recognised NDM, but this has been held back by the number of competing academic views (see below) and particularly the FAA’s promotion of DECIDE or similar process-based acronyms.
As I understand, decision making theories are in two broad categories. First, the normal ‘conventional’ approach, which I liken to problem solving and can be undertaken in the fullness of time with a range of data enabling option evaluation. This is strategic decision making – planning, e.g. preflight, or a prelanding briefing where many what ifs can be considered.
“A briefing is the flight plan for the mind”, and thus if aspects of surprise or stress have already been considered in a plan, this might reduce any reversion tendency.
Second, NDM is used in time critical situations often characterised by poor situation cues; this is where experience is relied on. This could be considered tactical decision making, including verification or modification of existing plans – N.B. the need to have a plan, and the need to be aware of the situation – mental models.
In this sense, reversion might be a chosen option within the decision. It would be interesting to know if there is a difference between experts and novices in reversion tendencies in these circumstances – I suspect that experts are less prone, thus expertise could offer a defence.
The refs below provide a good overview of the theories - tough academic reading at times. There are some (significant IMHO) indications as to how experience might be gained / accessed. In particular, some hints as to how some aspects of experience might be taught - knowledge gained, without being in real life scenarios.
Also, the importance of situation assessment / awareness is of note; this should receive more attention during training. I find these aspects of great interest in the commercial pressured, minimal training cultures of modern aviation.
Taking stock of naturalistic decision making.
Or
http://www.ise.ncsu.edu/nsf_itr/794B..._2001_JBDM.pdf
Expert Decision-Making in Naturalistic Environments.
A review of time critical decision making models.
Thinking Ahead: Using Strategic Behavior to Avoid Errors on the Commercial Flight Deck.