Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Operator Workload And Situation Awareness Utilizing First Person View Techniques, Ross Lucas Stephenson Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) sector within the aviation industry is experiencing unprecedented growth. However, the regulatory guidance for the safe integration of sUAS into the National Airspace System (NAS) has not kept pace with this technological growth within the market. Current regulatory limitations of line-of-sight operations may have an impact on the establishment of an equivalent level of safety for sUAS operations as maintained by manned aircraft. The focal point of the discussion of line-of-sight operations has been the ability of the sUAS pilot to see and avoid all obstacles and other aircraft in a safe and timely …

The Need For Recategorized Video Game Labels: A Quantitative Approach, Richard J. Simonson, Joseph R. Keebler, Shawn Doherty

Publications

Prior research has suggested that video game genre labels are an ineffective method of communicating a game's experience. Our investigation serves to provide a quantitative means of assessing experience communication effectiveness. We assessed game similarities by their associated game genre labels. The ratio between the small number of available developer-generated labels and the number of games led to too few labels to effectively delineate between similar and dissimilar games. The ratio between the large number of user-generated labels and the number of games led to too many labels to effectively cluster similar games with one another. However, games that had …

Edecide: A Web-Based Problem-Solving Interventions For Diabetes Self-Management: Protocol For A Pilot Clinical Trial, Barbara Chaparro, Michelle L. Redmond, Nicole Nollen, Hayrettin Okut, Tracie C. Collins

Publications

Background: In the US, diabetes affects 13.2% of African Americans, compared to 7.6% of Caucasians. Behavioral factors, such as poor diet, low physical activity, and general lack of good self-management skills and self-care knowledge are associated with poor glucose control among African Americans. African Americans are 77% more likely to develop diabetes and its associated health complications compared to non-Hispanic whites. A higher disease burden and lower adherence to self-management among this populations calls for innovative approaches to self-management training. Problem solving is a reliable tool for the behavior change necessary to improve self-management. The American Association of Diabetes Educators …

Planning An Escape: Considerations For The Development Of Applied Escape Rooms, Shawn M. Doherty, Andrew Griggs, Elizabeth Lazzara, Joseph Keebler, Tara N. Cohen, Bruce L. Gewertz

Publications

Background. Teams are essential to a wide array of applications and organizations often utilize varying interventions to improve the effectiveness of their teams. Due to their collaborative and modifiable characteristics, escape rooms are being increasingly utilized as an avenue to both deliver team interventions and to function as testbeds in research. Escape rooms are complex, interdependent activities which warrant careful planning to be effectively implemented. Despite the growing literature base concerning escape rooms, there is still limited practical guidance to inform the development of an escape room. Aim. The purpose of this article is to provide seven considerations that are …

Approaching Language As A Human Factor In Aviation: The Challenges Of Pilot Language Training In The Academic Level In Brazil, Aline Pacheco, Tales Figueiredo Silva

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Language training for pilots poses challenges worldwide as the use of Aviation English entails a number of features portrayed from a Human Factors perspective. Language proficiency is imperative, as required by the ICAO DOC 9835 compliance. It should be noted, however, that a thorough comprehension of effective communication in aviation as a non-technical skill surpasses the particular understanding of issues in the linguistic level, considering that most of the participants in aeronautical communications are non-native speakers of English and the cultural features underlying the linguistic behavior. This awareness must be accounted in training programs, especially in the academic level, where …

Developing Critical Thinking And Effective Communication Skills In The Future Aviation Workforce, Cihan Aydiner, Tanya Buhler Corbin, Courtney Tan

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Critical thinking and effective communication are among the top skills necessary for developing a resilient future workforce across professional areas. Recent world events have led to an increase in the demand for these skills in disaster and emergency management professions, especially those in and adjacent to the aviation industry. As such, the importance of higher education settings in teaching the skills needed to equip the workforce to face future challenges cannot be overstated. However, there are gaps in how these skills are taught in higher education to meet the needs of aviation employers seeking disaster and emergency professionals. This paper …

Student Research Opportunities In Aviation Human Factors, Jamie Barrett, Brett Torrence

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

When most people think of jobs in aviation or at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), they think of pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Maintainers, etc., those directly involved in the movement of aircraft, passengers, and cargo. However, to safely move over 26K passengers (avg) daily requires many diverse occupations. Included within the complexity of aviation operations are individuals with backgrounds in Psychology, Human Factors, and Instructional Design. It is important to raise awareness of the diversity of aviation jobs and pathways to achieving those opportunities, to attract a diverse next generation workforce. The Human Factors Research Division at the Civil Aerospace …

Targeting The Workforce Of Tomorrow Today, Chanda S. Sanders

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Strategically designed and implemented Aviation STEM (AvSTEM) education programs are essential to the future of aviation. As the retirement of a large portion of the aviation workforce rapidly approaches, the industry will be left with a deficit of seasoned employees with comparable knowledge to meet the ever changing needs of the national airspace system. AvSTEM programs designed for school-aged young people offer an opportunity for educators to target, educate, and plant seeds to recruit an adequate pipeline of diverse talent for tomorrow. A well-developed and strategically executed AvSTEM program also has the potential to impact Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) …

An Aviator Centered Approach To Mental Health: A Preliminary Look At Stressors, Barriers To Care, And Untreated Aviator Mental Health, Aric J. Raus

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

The purposeful crash of Germanwings 9525 in March 2015 provided a wake-up call to the aviation community on the ramifications of untreated mental health in commercial aviation. While the airline industry and governmental regulating bodies reacted quickly with peer-support networks and attempts to de-stigmatize seeking assistance, few actions or studies have focused on mental health from an Aviators perspective. This presentation explores the possible stressors impacting aviator mental health among three distinct aviator professional categories: Commercial Aviators, Military Aviators, and Aviators in Civilian Training Programs. After providing an overview of stressors, the discussion transitions into what is known about the …

Cfis’ Safety Behaviors At Flight Training Schools: Understanding The Effects Of Personality Traits, Self-Efficacy, Risk Perception, And Safety Climate, Vivek Sharma, Meredith Bell Carroll

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

According to Aircraft Owners Pilot Association [2], approximately 63% of the accidents involving certified flight instructors (CFIs) occurred during advanced training, which involves low altitude operations, critical decision-making skills, and accurate judgement. Research in the past has demonstrated that pilots’ safety behaviors also predict their involvement in an accident or incident [6]. Many studies across various work domains have examined how factors such as personality traits, perceived risk, safety climate, and self-efficacy influence safety behaviors [1][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Studies have found that personality traits such as Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Openness, and Agreeableness were positively related to safety behaviors [3][7][11], whereas Neuroticism was negatively …

Faa Designated Pilot Examiner System Insights, Wendy Beckman, Timothy Rosser, Michael Gref

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

As part of the Reauthorization Act of 2018 the FAA was required to assign to the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) a review of the current Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) policies. The ARAC in turn assigned this task to the Designated Pilot Examiner Reforms Working Group (DPERWG). This Group delivered its recommendations to the FAA in June 2021, with an FAA response to the Group due by June 2022. The purpose of this research project is to provide more insight regarding the current DPE system from all stakeholders prior to that deadline. Survey data from both current DPE’s and flight …

Validation Of Training Satisfaction Survey, Cassandra Domingo, Nicholas Nieves, Robert Thomas Dr

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

The Training Satisfaction Survey (TSS) was developed as part of a larger project to examine the features of Virtual Reality software and supporting devices as a training program on visual illusions and spatial disorientation. The TSS is a 13-item, self-report scale which gauges participants’ level of training satisfaction. Participants responded regarding their most recent experience with a Frasca C172 Level 6 Flight Training Device. The TSS was designed to measure overall satisfaction using three subfactors: relevance, enjoyment, and technology satisfaction. These factors can be used to identify impediments to learning (e.g., training was not easy to follow) to create more …

Analysis Of The Emerging Pilot Workforce, James Birdsong, Kurt Reesman

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

The pilot workforce grew by approximately 20,000 pilots between 2011 – 2019 before shedding almost 6,500 jobs in 2020 due to COVID-19. Long-term forecasts predict industry recovery and growth and the need for robust pilot hiring since approximately 50% of today’s pilot workforce will meet the mandatory retirement age within 15 years.

The current workforce consists of four generations, with the youngest (Generation Z) just beginning to join the airline ranks. The oldest generation (Baby Boomers) will be exiting the workforce within ten years, leaving three generations (Generations X, Y, and Z), two of which have spent their entire lives …

The Evolution Of Ai On The Commercial Flight Deck: Finding Balance Between Efficiency And Safety While Maintaining The Integrity Of Operator Trust, Mark Miller, Sam Holley, Leila Halawi

Publications

As artificial intelligence (AI) seeks to improve modern society, the commercial aviation industry offers a significant opportunity. Although many parts of commercial aviation including maintenance, the ramp, and air traffic control show promise to integrate AI, the highly computerized digital flight deck (DFD) could be challenging. The researchers seek to understand what role AI could provide going forward by assessing AI evolution on the commercial flight deck over the past 50 years. A modified SHELL diagram is used to complete a Human Factors (HF) analysis of the early use for AI on the commercial flight deck through introduction of the …

The Effects Of Dating Applications On Mental Health Since The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rosalia Merce Drape, Josh Marion Fajardo, Loi Daniel Rabe, Dasarityan Amorgh Sasitharan, Rhev Matthew Veneracion, Mohammad Amsyar Shaqir Bin Faizal

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

ABSTRACT

In response to the increase of online dating platforms since the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to investigate the effects on the well-being of users. This study intends to explore the impact of dating applications on the mental health of university students since COVID-19, since the usage rate of dating applications are high among young adults. Using quick response (QR) codes, a purposive sampling technique will be used to conduct an online survey of 383 participants from selected universities in Singapore. With our key independent variable of dating app usage and control variables consisting of demographics, COVID-19 stressors, social …

Armed And Unarmed Drone Perception In Conflict Zones, Nazish Chunara

Student Works

Regions across the globe that are impacted by conflict are often the recipients of both armed and unarmed drones. These dual-use systems blur the boundary between military and civilian objectives. The goal of this literature review is to understand the scope of research conducted in conflict zones from the perspective of the civilian. Civilian includes resident, visitor, and worker. A gap in the available literature has been identified within the context of dual-use systems, conflict zones, and the civilian perspective.

Science Communication As A Collective Intelligence Endeavour: A Manifesto And Examples For Implementation, Maria Petrescu

Publications

Effective science communication is challenging when scientific messages are informed by a continually updating evidence base and must often compete against misinformation. We argue for the need for a new programme of science communication as collective intelligence—a collaborative approach, supported by technology. This would have four key advantages over the typical model where scientists communicate as individuals: scientific messages would be informed by (1) a wider base of aggregated knowledge, (2) contributions from a diverse scientific community, (3) participatory input from stakeholders, and (4) better responsiveness to ongoing changes in the state of knowledge.

Flying Blind: Exploring The Visual Cues Used By Helicopter Pilots In Degraded Visual Environments, Brandon Dreslin, Molly C. Mersinger, Shivani Patel, Alex Chaparro

Publications

Helicopter pilots rely on visual cues from the environment and instrument displays during critical phases of flight – particularly final approach and landing – to safely land. However, the specific visual cues pilots rely on and how they integrate those cues to make anticipatory inceptor inputs or corrections are not well understood. Importantly, those cues may be degraded under nighttime and brownout/whiteout conditions where the downwash of a helicopter’s rotors cause loose dirt/snow to be projected into the air, resulting in the obfuscation of the pilot’s vision outside the aircraft. The lack of visual cues in these conditions means that …

Cognitive Processing Disruptions Affecting Flight Deck Performance: Implications For Cognitive Resilience, Sam J. Holley, Mark D. Miller

Publications

The flight deck of a commercial aircraft has become progressively digitized and operates in multiple modes with displays and indicators that require increasing levels of comprehension. Examining several aspects of cognitive processing is important to understand how threats to safety might occur and what actions might be taken to reduce severity or to eliminate the threat altogether. This paper presents the elements of cognition to consider, relevant characteristics of working memory and cognitive processing speed, types of disruptions and how they are addressed, results from overload or confusion, and the need for effective cognitive resilience to recover and repair the …

Mental Health Aviation Students, Keren Natha, Priyangaa Rajendran, Sundareswar Selvaganesan

Student Works

According to a study done by the American College Health Association, 24% of students in 2021 met the criteria for severe psychological distress and 51% of students met the criteria for moderate psychological distress. University can take a toll on students and cause mental health challenges. Aviation students are of no exception. The mental health challenges, if not dealt with properly, can further deteriorate and cause issues such as depression. This could risk students’ career, and could be a threat to not only their safety, but the safety of potential passengers and other individuals. Thus, this study will allow better …

Directional Speaker Poster, Eugene Ng, Bryan Wong, Ruhaan Das

Student Works

Changi Airport is set to expand with a new terminal, Terminal 5. Currently, many of the airport's processes are manual, requiring a high dependence on staff. This proposal aims to incorporate automation and AI for a smoother passenger experience.

Integrated Dynamic Airline Route And Schedule Optimization, Bayan Begaliyeva

Student Works

By harnessing real-time and historical data in conjunction with advanced AI technologies, this project revolutionizes route and schedule planning, leading to enhanced efficiency, cost reduction, and an improved passenger experience.

Utilizing The Alarm Taxonomy And Classification System (Atacs) To Redesign Landing Gear Warnings, Stephen Rice, Ryan Lange, Sean R. Crouse, Scott R. Winter, Ryan J. Wallace

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Alarms have been in use for many decades, yet there still needs to be more clarity about what makes a good alarm. Vendors and government agencies have developed several useful handbooks describing the Do’s and Don’ts of effective alarm design; however, to date, we cannot find a comprehensive quantitative taxonomy or classification system that allows researchers to easily score and rank various alarm designs in any field—while using a common language that users, engineers, designers, and human factors professionals can understand. The Alarm Taxonomy and Classification System (ATACS) fills this gap in the literature by breaking alarms down into categorical …

Factors Affecting Passengers’ Acceptance Of Single Pilot Operations: A Qualitative Study Conducted In Greece, Panagiotis Kioulepoglou, Ilias Makris

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Single Pilot Operations (SPO) have drawn significant attention during the last years, as a result of the increased dual flight crew expenses, and as a remedy to the impending pilot shortage which is estimated to manifest itself in the following years. The main objective of this study was to explore the factors that influence the Greek passengers’ acceptance of SPO. To that end, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed through Thematic Analysis by combining both a priori and inductive coding procedures.

Qualitative findings of this process revealed seven factors influencing passengers’ intention to accept and fly with a SPO …

An Analysis Of Department Of The Air Force Bird Strikes And Precipitation, Jason Powell Mas, Cfmei, Atp

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This study explored the relationship between precipitation, the amount of time between precipitation events, bird strike risk, and the agricultural zone related to Department of the Air Force (DAF) aircraft operations. Certain bird species demonstrated a relationship between agricultural zones, precipitation, and length of time after a precipitation event and when an aircraft strike occurred. The types and frequency of bird strikes depend highly on the region and species struck. The Poisson regression revealed Cathartiformes as significantly struck by the DAF aircraft more often and can be predicted based on agricultural zone and precipitation. A binary regression did not demonstrate …

Public Opinion Concerning The Siting Of Vertiports, David C. Ison

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This study sought a better understanding of public opinion about the siting of vertiports to support Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). An online survey was used to collect the necessary data. The survey was divided into seven sections: personal impacts, community impacts, acceptable proximity, benefits and concerns, flight operations, open-ended comments, and demographics. The findings for personal impacts suggested a slightly positive outlook. Community impacts were assessed, and data also indicated a marginally positive outlook. The survey revealed that a tolerable average distance between the home of the respondent and a vertiport was between one to two miles. Opinions about the …

Evaluating The Effects Of Safety Management Systems (Sms) On Safety Culture Factors In Collegiate Aviation Operations: A Structural Equation Modeling (Sem) Approach, Robert A. Foster, Daniel Kwasi Adjekum

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Implementing Safety Management Systems (SMS) is currently voluntary for collegiate aviation operations in the U.S. Some extant studies have advocated using Safety Management Systems (SMS) as a proactive tool to continuously improve collegiate aviation safety culture. Using a structural equation modeling/path analysis (SEM/PA) approach, the effect of SMS on factors of safety culture in multiple collegiate aviation programs in the U.S. was evaluated using a hypothesized model that measures the relationships between scales of SMS, safety motivation (mediator), and safety culture factors (safety compliance, safety reporting, and safety participation). Demographic differences in safety culture were also evaluated. Findings suggest significant …

Cabin Crew Members’ Silence: A Qualitative Study With Cabin Attendants, Seda Ceken, Pinar Unsal

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Silence among flight crews has been one of the significant causes of aviation incidents and/or accidents. This study aims to explore why flight attendants remain silent during flights and/or do not report errors after the end of the flight. For this purpose, semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 21 flight attendants. The data were analyzed through content analysis using the MAXQDA 22 Qualitative Analysis Program. Themes and coding related to the research question were obtained by analyzing the scripts with creative coding techniques. Nine themes were identified by the content analysis, namely "poor relationship with cabin supervisors/pilots", "the lack of …

Using The Best - Worst Scale To Assess The Relative Impact Of These Behaviors On Other Passengers On The Same Flight: The Disruptive Passenger Behavior, Quynh Thi Nhu Phan, Vi Tran, Nhan Huu Huynh, Thao Phuong Huynh, Duc Nhan Ho

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

A method called the best-worst scaling method is proposed to overcome these problems by asking respondents to make tradeoffs among the variables being assessed. This paper raises issues in respect of supplementing and developing a block of disruptive behaviors exhibited by passengers during flights and assesses the impact of these behaviors on other passengers. To illustrate the proposed method and evaluate its performance, we surveyed 240 passengers, and data from 203 survey samples were analyzed. The data analysis results revealed three behaviors that were considered the most disruptive, including (1) Threatening and causing distress, (2) Harassment and disrupting public order, …

Airport Ground Access Choice Between Transportation Network Companies And Parking: A Case Study Of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Sen Wang, Yichen Zheng, Yi Gao

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The segment between home and airports is an essential component in all air transportation trips. Travelers normally have different ground access options to commence their journeys. Using Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as a special case, this study proposes a theoretical framework for quantifying and comparing the overall cost of driving and parking at airport and the use of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) ridesharing services such as Uber. Based on the cost comparison, we design an interactive web application to visualize the utility advantage area and summarize the corresponding demographic information. Our study has the potential to benefit airports, TNC operators, …