MITIGATING COGNITIVE BIASES IN RISK IDENTIFICATION: Practitioner Checklist for the AEROSPACE SECTOR

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Cognitive Psychology
• Risk Management

Background:

• Cognitive biases significantly impact risk management processes in high-stakes sectors like aerospace.
• Existing literature lacks practical, operational tools for bias mitigation in aerospace risk identification and evaluation.
• Optimism and narrow project focus are common biases affecting aerospace project success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an operational checklist for mitigating cognitive biases in aerospace risk management.
• To provide practitioners with actionable steps for recognizing and reducing bias.
• To enhance the reliability and effectiveness of risk assessment in the aerospace industry.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Risk Identification and Evaluation Bias Reduction Checklist.
• Incorporation of historical data and multiple perspectives into risk assessment procedures.
• Surveying subject matter experts to evaluate the checklist's utility and gather insights on bias mitigation.

Main Results:

• The checklist provides a structured approach to grounding risk identification in historical data.
• Emphasis on multiple methods and perspectives effectively counters optimism and singular viewpoints.
• Expert feedback validated the checklist as a valuable risk management tool for government and industry.

Conclusions:

• The developed checklist offers a novel, operational solution for cognitive bias mitigation in aerospace risk management.
• Implementing the checklist can lead to more robust and objective risk assessments.
• The research addresses a critical gap in practical guidance for bias reduction in the aerospace sector.