Analyzing cockpit communications: the links between language, performance, error, and workload

Area of Science:

• Aviation Psychology
• Linguistic Analysis
• Human Factors in Aviation

Background:

• Effective communication is critical for flight deck safety and performance.
• Traditional communication analysis methods may not capture nuanced linguistic patterns.
• Developing advanced methods to objectively assess flight deck communication is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a computer-based linguistic text analysis method for flight deck communication.
• To explore the relationship between specific language variables and pilot performance, errors, and ratings.
• To investigate how language use varies with crew position and workload.

Main Methods:

• Applied a novel computer-based linguistic text analysis technique to flight deck communication data.
• Utilized data from a NASA Boeing 727 (B727) simulator study.
• Correlated linguistic variables with individual performance metrics, error rates, and communication assessments.

Main Results:

• Specific language variables showed moderate to high correlations with individual performance, error rates, and communication ratings.
• Language use differed based on crew position (Captain, First Officer, Flight Engineer) and flight workload.
• Increased use of first-person plural pronouns (we, our, us) was observed over the flight duration and more frequently by Captains.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary findings suggest linguistic analysis is a viable tool for understanding flight deck communication dynamics.
• Language patterns are linked to pilot performance, error occurrence, and crew coordination.
• Further development and integration with other analysis models are ongoing to enhance communication assessment.