In the context of modern information-based warfare, where highly automated aircraft systems demand superior cognitive capabilities from pilots, response inhibition---the ability to suppress inappropriate or prepotent actions during shoot/don't-shoot decisions---has emerged as a critical determinant of combat effectiveness and operational safety. While previous research has separately investigated inhibitory control training and working memory training as potential interventions for enhancing cognitive performance, no empirical study has systematically compared these two theoretically distinct training approaches within the same ecologically valid complex task environment. Addressing this gap, the present study aimed to examine the relative efficacy of inhibitory control training versus working memory training in improving simulated shooting performance, and to investigate the behavioral mechanisms underlying response inhibition through speed-accuracy tradeoff analysis.

A total of 75 healthy right-handed participants aged 17 to 28 years were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: inhibitory control training group (n = 25), working memory training group (n = 25), or active control group (n = 25). All participants completed five consecutive days of cognitive training, with each daily session lasting approximately 40 minutes. The inhibitory control group engaged in a combined regimen of Go/No-Go and Stop Signal Tasks featuring adaptive difficulty adjustment, while the working memory group performed a dual-dimension n-back task. The active control group completed a visual search task to control for placebo effects. Before and after the training intervention, all participants completed a high-ecological-validity simulated air combat shooting task developed using Unity3D, which required making rapid shoot/don't-shoot decisions under time pressure. Primary outcome measures included shooting reaction time and inhibition accuracy, and behavioral mechanisms were examined through speed-accuracy tradeoff analysis and Euclidean distance calculations of response patterns.

Multivariate analysis of covariance, with pretest performance as covariates, revealed a significant main effect of group on overall behavioral improvement (p<.001). Both training groups demonstrated significant performance enhancements compared to the control group. Critically, direct comparisons between the two training groups revealed that inhibitory control training produced significantly greater accuracy gains than working memory training (p=.029), representing a 10.7 percentage point advantage and a 42.09% relative improvement. Speed-accuracy tradeoff analysis demonstrated that both training groups shifted toward a more cautious decision-making strategy, characterized by prolonged reaction times coupled with enhanced inhibition accuracy. Euclidean distance analysis revealed greater behavioral consistency within the inhibitory control group (CV = 0.473) compared to the working memory group (CV = 0.532), although this difference did not reach statistical significance, suggesting that the observed pattern of differential consistency requires validation with larger samples.

These findings demonstrate that both inhibitory control training and working memory training effectively enhance response inhibition performance in complex simulated combat tasks, with inhibitory control training showing particular efficacy. The results provide empirical support for the theoretical distinction between near transfer and far transfer effects in cognitive training research. Consistent with the horse-race model of response inhibition, the observed shift toward a more cautious speed-accuracy tradeoff suggests that cognitive training may improve performance by strategically elevating decision thresholds, thereby affording additional time for inhibitory processes to successfully compete with prepotent response tendencies. The differential behavioral patterns between training groups---with inhibitory control training producing more homogeneous and pronounced effects---may reflect fundamental differences in underlying mechanisms: direct strengthening of core inhibitory processes versus indirect enhancement through generalized cognitive resources.

This research carries significant implications for military training, aviation safety, and human factors engineering. By demonstrating that laboratory-based cognitive training can successfully transfer to ecologically valid complex task performance, the findings support the development of evidence-based, precision-oriented cognitive training curricula for military personnel. The observed strategic shift toward accuracy prioritization aligns critically with the demands of high-stakes operational environments, where the consequences of errors---such as friendly fire incidents or civilian casualties---substantially outweigh the costs of decision delays. These results contribute to proactive ergonomics design by enhancing operator cognitive capabilities to mitigate inherent risks in complex human-machine systems. Furthermore, the study provides a methodological template for evaluating training effectiveness using ecologically valid assessment tools, which may facilitate future research on cognitive enhancement across diverse applied domains. Practical applications may include pilot selection and training programs, special operations force cognitive coaching, and broader implementations in aviation security and other professional contexts requiring rapid, accurate decision-making under conditions of high cognitive load and temporal pressure.