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Sensory processing sensitivity predicts pilot decision time via indecisiveness: evidence from flight simulation and
Kun Zhou1, Yifan Zhang2, Yulu Lei2
1College of Safety Science and Engineering, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin, 300300, People's Republic of China. zhouk_psy@sina.com.
Background:
Timely decision-making in aviation emergencies (e.g., engine failure and runway excursion) is a critical human factor for flight safety. However, pilots vary widely in their ability to make rapid, accurate decisions under stress. Identifying individual traits and neural mechanisms underlying decision delay is essential for risk mitigation and pilot training.
Methods:
Fifty-one male cadet pilots were recruited and classified into high- and low-sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) groups based on their Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) scores. All participants completed simulated landing tasks under two risk conditions: a high-risk scenario (engine failure plus wind shear) and a low-risk scenario (wind shear only). The behavioural decision time, overall flight performance, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; Brodmann area 9) activation were assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Statistical analyses included mixed-design analyses of variance (ANOVAs), mediation analyses using the PROCESS macro, and moderated mediation models.
Results:
Compared with the low-SPS pilots, the high-SPS pilots had significantly longer decision times (F = 7.67, p = .008). Furthermore, a significant interaction effect between SPS and risk level was observed for flight performance; high-SPS pilots had significantly lower overall performance scores, specifically under high-risk conditions (p < .001). A mediation analysis indicated that indecisiveness mediated the SPS and decision time (indirect effect = 0.039, 95% CI [0.0031, 0.0792]). Moreover, BA9 activation moderated indecisiveness and decision delay (interaction β = 0.409, p = .014).
Conclusion:
SPS and indecisiveness jointly contribute to delayed decision-making and poor flight performance under stress, with DLPFC engagement amplifying the delay in decision-making. The findings integrate trait, behavioural, and neural factors into a unified model of aviation decision performance.
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