Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Examining The Changing Roles And Responsibilities Of Humans In Envisioned Future In-Time Aviation Safety Management Systems, Lawrence Prinzel Iii, Kyle Ellis, John Koelling, Paul Krois, Misty Davies, Robert Mah

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Advances in technology are enabling new concepts of operations that will trans-form aviation including increasingly autonomous capabilities to handle evolving complex dynamic ecosystems like those associated with Advanced Aerial Mobility. A major challenge is how to ensure today’s safety levels are maintained as the system scales for rapid detection and timely mitigation of safety issues. NASA has developed a concept of operation for In-Time Aviation Safety Management Systems (IASMS) that represents a system-of-system perspective on interconnected capabilities needed to proactively reduce risk in complex operational environments where unknown hazards may exist. As a result, NASA research priorities include understanding how …

Pilot Is A Pilot Is A Pilot: Exploration Of Effects Of National Culture In Helicopter Pilots, Anna Kaminska, Amy Irwin, Devin Ray, Rhona Flin

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Culture has been identified as a factor influencing the way people communicate and behave. Though often imperceptible by its members, cross-cultural interactions can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. The current study explored how national culture interacts in the cockpit and affects pilots’ safety behaviours. The study used in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants (14 helicopter pilots) to collect data on national culture’s impact. The data were analysed using conventional content analysis. Content analysis indicated two categories relevant to working with others irrespective of culture and three categories relevant to perceptions of national culture. The findings indicate that pilots acknowledge the …

Applying Human Factors Heuristic Evaluation Tools To Improve Aviation Weather Displays: A Mismatch, John Kleber, Paige Lawton, Beth Blickensderfer

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Background. Weather-related accidents have one of the highest fatality rates among General Aviation (GA) accidents. Pilots obtain graphical and textual weather information from aviation weather displays during both preflight planning and while inflight. Interpretation scores of weather products remain low regardless of pilot certification/rating. Previous research identifies poor usability as one cause of weather displays' low interpretability. Given the frequency of updates to weather displays, a rapid usability assessment technique is needed. Heuristic evaluations are a common method for quickly identifying usability problems. Heuristics evaluations entail expert reviewers evaluating an interface using a validated set of heuristic guidelines. This paper …

Resilience Engineering’S Potential For Advanced Air Mobility (Aam), Christopher Nemeth, Jon Holbrook

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

The national airspace (NAS) will rapidly evolve in the next ten to twenty years. Plans for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) during that period envision highly automated airspace management systems and electrically powered vehicles. AAM concepts also anticipate limited human roles. The goal of limiting the human role is to minimize the potential for misadventures, yet how the human role is limited needs to be carefully considered in order to also preserve the potential for human successes. The field of resilience engineering (RE) focuses on how systems can change in order to seize an opportunity or withstand an unforeseen challenge. RE …

Speed-Accuracy Trade-Offs And General Systems Performance Theory: Novel Application To Fitts’ Law And Beyond, Lawrence R. Disalvi, George V. Kondraske

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Speed-accuracy trade-offs have long been of interest in human performance. General Systems Performance Theory (GSPT) was motivated by human performance measurement and modeling needs. It has subsequently been applied in those and other areas. In GSPT, all system performance attributes are modeled using a resource construct. Systems are characterized by multi-dimensional performance capacity envelopes (PCEs). The systems of interest here are considered to possess limited speed and accuracy performance resources defining a two-dimensional PCE. When considering human movement, relevance to Fitts’ law was conjectured. In multiple Fitts’ paradigm tasks, we found a near-perfect correlation between Index of Performance (IP) and …

What We Know About Teamwork And Multiteam Coordination In Aviation: Overview Model, Glenn E. Littlepage, Michael B. Hein, Andrea M. Georgiou

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Much of the work of pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, aircraft mechanics, and flight operations center personnel is done in teams and coordination within and between teams is required. This is the first in a five-article series discussing theory and research relating to teamwork in aviation. This article presents a comprehensive model of teamwork in aviation. It builds on leading teamwork theories and integrates other aviation-relevant constructs such as decision making, technology, and culture. All components of the model have been extensively supported in the general team literature, but the extent of aviation-specific research varies considerably across constructs. Additional …

Observing On-Demand Aircrew Transitioning From Paper To Electronic, Charla L. Long, Kevin M. Gildea

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

The introduction of electronic flight bags (EFBs) for flight crew use has reduced the overall workload, except in some situations if not designed properly or employed effectively. Researchers from the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) undertook an observational study combined with crew interviews to assess overall flight crew operations including flight demands, procedures, and the methods the crews used to integrate EFBs into all aspects of their flights from preflight planning to postflight debrief. The researchers also examined the EFB applications (apps) themselves for general usability and developed some recommendations for ways EFB use in operations could be improved. General …

Examining Physical Activity Behaviors And Psychometric Beliefs Of College Students Before And After The Covid-19 Shutdown, James White Iii

Graduate Theses

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine PA behaviors, social support and self-efficacy for PA, Rosenberg self-esteem, and perceptions of body weight before and after the COVID-19 shutdown (March 15, 2020) among the college demographic.

Participants: 311 college students from a four-year, comprehensive, southeastern university in the United States were included in the study from December 1, 2020 until March 5, 2021.

Methods: Surveys were conducted via Qualtrics, an online survey system, and consisted of approximately 40 items, including demographic information, PA behaviors, social support and exercise, self-esteem, self-efficacy to exercise, and perceptions of body weight and self-image. …

Validating Stress Tolerance Exercise With Game-Based Assessment And Stress Checklists, Jóhann Wium

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Stress tolerance is an important attribute for air traffic controllers. Assessing an individual’s stress tolerance should therefore be considered when selecting student air traffic controllers. Unfortunately, measures of stress tolerance are often self-reports and as such are subject to “faking good”. This paper details the validation of an observation-based stress tolerance exercise and its convergent validity with behavioral signs of stress (from stress checklists) and results of game-based assessments of Emotional Stability and Performance Under Pressure. The resulting data suggests that ratings from the exercise are valid and that game-based assessments can be used to predict ratings made from observable …

Organizational Safety In Airline Operations, Esa Rantanen, Erik-Jan Hujibrechts

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Organizational accidents is a category of accidents caused by organizational factors. They are rare but have widespread consequences, many defenses and multiple causes, they are associated with judging and deciding, and have a long “history”. Organizational accidents are also associated with highly regulated industries, such as aviation. There are several other constructs related to organizational factors undermining safety. Aviation is unfortunately closely associated with the traditional “Safety I” thinking, where adverse outcomes can be found at the end of causal chain and treating, and preferably eliminating, the causes will increase safety by preventing future accidents. An alternative view is “Safety …

Utilizing Immersive Technologies In The Air Traffic Control Domain, Shivani Bajaj, Andrew Jorquera, Charlie Duff, Rafael N.C. Patrick

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) holds a vital role in the United States, employing over 14,000 Air Traffic Control/Management (ATC/ATM) specialists responsible for managing roughly 43,000 flights each day. ATC education “wash-out” rates have shown that there is a disconnect between the training process and the implementation of cognitively demanding, safety-critical ATC duties. The purpose of this research was to investigate if, how, and where immersive technologies (i.e., augmented, virtual, and mixed reality) could be helpful within the ATC/ATM educational domain. To accomplish the overall research goal, subject matter expert (SME) interviews were conducted and a potential educational tool was …

Does Attention Training Enhance Stress Resilience And Performance In Unforeseen Safety-Critical Situations?, Christine M. Talker

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Dealing successfully with unforeseen safety-critical situations is a prerequisite for save pilot performance. Studies applying new attention-based training approaches have revealed positive effects on emotion regulation and on concentration abilities. Hence, the question arises to what extent attention training would facilitate cognitive adaptation processes, thereby attenuating emotional stress responses and reducing performance decrements in unforeseen flight situations. Twenty-four pilots will be randomly assigned to two groups and will either be trained in attention regulation or in relaxation techniques. “Home training” will be followed by training in the flight simulator. Performance ratings, video and audio recordings, subjective data, and EDA data …

Loss Of Situational Awareness During Commercial Flight Over Colombian Mountains, Oscar Sarmiento Mejia

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

No abstract provided.

The Skill Assumption -Over-Reliance On Perception Skills In Hazard Assessment, M M Rene Van Paassen, Jelmer R. Reitsma, Erik_Jan A M Hujibrechts, Clark Borst, Annemarie Landman, Max Mulder

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

In the analysis of human performance and human error, considerable attention is given to the cognitive processes of actors involved in error or success scenarios. Even with awareness of hindsight bias, it takes effort to understand the actions of agents in later inspection of error scenarios. One such topic of heated discussion was the perceived poor performance of pilots in the two 737 MAX MCAS-related crashes in applying the “memory item” checklist pertaining to a runaway trim. In this paper, we argue that it is not so much the reproduction of the checklist that was lacking in these scenarios, but …

Situational Awareness Training For Operators Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Tarryn Kille, Paul R. Bates, Seung Young Lee, David Murray Kille

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

In civilian operations, the utilisation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is diverse and the application needs and performance characteristics also vary widely. To this end, the growing opportunities for UAV operations have generated an urgent need for trained operators to ensure these systems are used effectively and safely. This paper discusses the importance and integration of appropriate non-technical skills (NTS) training with a focus on situation awareness (SA) to further improve UAV mission effectiveness. The paper explores technical design and human factors challenges impacting on UAV operations. While technical design solutions to UAV systems and interfaces are examined, the authors …

Recommended Training Practices To Prepare Pilots To Cope With Information Conflicts, Meredith Carroll, Paige Sanchez, Donna Wilt

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

As the next generation of flight deck information systems are being utilized on the flight deck, pilots now have greater amounts of information at their fingertips. Although redundant sources of information allow pilots to crosscheck, they also introduce the potential for information conflicts. There is a need to ensure pilots are trained to effectively evaluate, integrate and make decisions based on information from redundant, and potentially conflicting information. Based on findings from a literature, we present several best practice guidelines for preparing pilots to effectively respond to conflicting information. Based on data collected during a questionnaire study administered to a …

What We Know About Teamwork And Multiteam Coordination In Aviation: Teamwork Communication And Decision Making In Aviation, Michael B. Hein, Glenn E. Littlepage, Andrea M. Georgiou

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

A variety of teams operate within aviation and decisions are made both within individual teams and with multiteam collaboration as well. As a result, multiple decision contexts exist and communication issues are ubiquitous. Two different approaches to decision making are described. The utility of each approach may vary across situational factors such as time pressure and attentional capacity. This is the fourth in a five-article series discussing theory and research relating to teamwork in aviation. This article presents a core piece of the comprehensive model of teamwork in aviation,

Detecting A Loss Of Situational Awareness, Stephen R. Pickard, Ami Eidels, Eric J. Beh, Leslie M. Blaha

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Based within the aviation context, this research is attempting to detect a loss of situational awareness (SA) using Detection Response Tasks (DRT). The research is in two phases: an initial survey and then an experimentation phase. A survey has been distributed attempting to gain an understanding of what current aviation personnel understand of the construct of SA and how it is currently taught and assessed, and what are the observed indicators of a loss of SA. The survey results will be used to validate some previously identified elements of SA around the link between SA and cognitive capacity and workload, …

Dimensions Of Pilot Experience And Their Contributing Variables, Nsikak E. Udo-Imeh, Steven J. Landry

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Pilot experience is generally recognized as an insulating factor against erroneous weather-related decision making in General Aviation (GA). A pilot’s level of experience is traditionally taken to correspond to the total flight hours accrued. However, there is some evidence from aviation accident databases and research that total flight hours on its own, may be an inadequate measure of pilot experience. Indeed, pilot experience may be viewed as a multidimensional attribute, with each dimension made up of several elements or variables. How individual elements align with different dimensions, or the extent to which each dimension or the elements thereof contribute to …

Surveying Collegiate Student Pilots For Their Perspectives On Their Collegiate Flight Training Experience, Nicoletta Fala, Denise K. Whitford

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

Women make up roughly half of the population, but continue to be an underrepresented group in aviation. They constitute nearly 14% of student pilots, but only 8% of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot certificates, leading to a lack of understanding why a substantial number of women do not complete their training. Past diversity initiatives have not resulted in a sufficient increase in the numbers. This paper discusses a study in progress that is intended to gain perceptions of women’s experiences and obstacles in collegiate flight programs using a longitudinal survey of collegiate pilots. The aim of the study is to …