Related Experiment Videos
Sources of stress affecting pilot judgment
E C Simmel1, M Cerkovnik, J E McCarthy
1Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056.
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Pilot decision-making is influenced by how they assess nonroutine events. This study found individual assessment tendencies were consistent but unaffected by stress levels in simulations. A new questionnaire was developed to measure life stress.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Human Factors Engineering
- Aviation Psychology
Background:
- Accurate assessment of nonroutine event consequences is crucial for pilot decision-making.
- Measuring life stress presents significant challenges in psychological research.
- Individual differences in assessing event consequences may impact performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the over/underassessment of nonroutine event consequences in pilots.
- To introduce and validate the Life Events Questionnaire (LEQ) for stress measurement.
- To examine the relationship between life stress levels and consequence assessment.
Main Methods:
- Development and application of the Life Events Questionnaire (LEQ).
- Utilizing an artificial air traffic control simulation.
- Assessing individual tendencies in over/underassessing consequences of nonroutine events.
Main Results:
- Individual tendencies to over/underassess consequences were consistent.
- Life stress levels did not affect consequence assessment in the simulation.
- High stress subjects reported significantly higher chronic stress than acute stress (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Pilot's assessment of nonroutine events shows intra-individual consistency.
- Life stress levels, as measured by LEQ, did not influence this assessment tendency in the simulated environment.
- Chronic stress is a more significant factor than acute stress for individuals experiencing high life stress.