The effect of punishment and feedback on correcting erroneous behavior.

Introduction: Understanding the consequences of non-punitive sanctions and feedback for nonintentional deviations (i.e., errors) is important to effective safety policy.

Pilot Mental Health, Methodologies, and Findings: A Systematic Review.

Pilots' mental health has received increased attention following Germanwings Flight 9525 in 2015, where the copilot intentionally crashed the aircraft into the French Alps, killing all on board. An investigation of this incident found that the pilot had a depressive disorder. This systematic review investigated peer reviewed studies of pilot mental health published since 1980.

Measured effects of workload and auditory feedback on remote pilot task performance.

Absent or reduced sensory cueing can deprive pilots operating remotely piloted aircraft beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of vital information necessary for safe flight. The present study tested the effects of real-time auditory feedback on remote pilot perception and decision-making task performance in an automated BVLOS flight, under three levels of workload (Low, Moderate and High). Results from 36 participants revealed workload and auditory feedback influenced perception task performance in terms of error type count, with misses more frequent than wrong identifications.

The effect of broadband noise on learning and dynamic decision-making and how cognitive workload and sex moderate its effect.

The aim of this research was to examine how broadband noise which is present in many workplaces affects dynamic decision-making. The effect of potential moderating factors, cognitive workload and sex, were also examined. Forty-eight participants (24 females) with an average age of 27.

The fatiguing effect of broadband noise: An EEG-based study.

Fatigue continues to be identified as one of the primary contribution factors in aircraft and motor vehicle crashes. The aim of the present study was to examine the fatiguing effect of continuous noise, noise that is present in the cabin of a truck, or an aircraft during flight. In pursuit of this aim, a monotonous driving scenario that has previously been shown to induce fatigue was employed, along with broadband noise set at 75dBA.

Effects of auditory and visual feedback on remote pilot manual flying performance.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) have facilitated new growth in civil aviation. Unlike manned aircraft, however, they are operated without auditory feedback and normally flown under two visual conditions: in direct visual-line-of-sight to the remote pilot (VLOS) and beyond VLOS with first-person-view imagery transmitted via onboard cameras (BVLOS). The present research examined the effectiveness of audiovisual cueing on remote pilot manual flying performance.

Communicating safety information: Investigating how distractors affect the recall of key safety information in pre-flight safety briefings.

Distractors have been shown to adversely impact individuals' ability to acquire target information. However, not all distractors are the same. Distractors that compete/interfere for the same cognitive resources as the target, are thought to be more detrimental to performance than those that do not compete for the same resources.

Altering user' acceptance of automation through prior automation exposure.

Air navigation service providers worldwide see increased use of automation as one solution to overcome the capacity constraints imbedded in the present air traffic management (ATM) system. However, increased use of automation within any system is dependent on user acceptance. The present research sought to determine if the point at which an individual is no longer willing to accept or cooperate with automation can be manipulated.

The effects of noise on key workplace skills.

This study explored the effect on memory and psychomotor performance of wideband noise (simulated in-cabin aircraft noise) at 75 dBA, which is similar to that experienced during the cruise phase of a commercial flight. The results from the tests were compared to the effects of a widely known and common metric on the same skills, namely, blood alcohol concentration (BAC). All 32 participants, half non-native English speakers, completed three different tests (recognition memory, working memory, and reaction time) presented in counterbalanced order, either in the presence of noise, with or without noise attenuation headphones, and without noise but with a BAC of 0.

Selling safety: the use of celebrities in improving awareness of safety in commercial aviation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influential power of a celebrity to convey key safety messages in commercial aviation using a pre-flight safety briefing video. In addition, the present research sought to examine the effectiveness of subtitles in aiding the recall of these important messages as well as how in-cabin aircraft noise affects recall of this information. A total of 101 participants were randomly divided into four groups (no noise without subtitles, no noise with subtitles, noise without subtitles and noise with subtitles) and following exposure to a pre-recorded pre-flight safety briefing video were tested for recall of key safety messages within that video.

Pre-flight safety briefings, mood and information retention.

Mood is a moderating factor that is known to affect performance. For airlines, the delivery of the pre-flight safety briefing prior to a commercial flight is not only an opportunity to inform passengers about the safety features on-board the aircraft they are flying, but an opportunity to positively influence their mood, and hence performance in the unlikely event of an emergency. The present research examined whether indeed the pre-flight safety briefing could be used to positively impact passengers' mood.

The effect on recognition memory of noise cancelling headphones in a noisy environment with native and non-native speakers.

Noise has the potential to impair cognitive performance. For nonnative speakers, the effect of noise on performance is more severe than their native counterparts. What remains unknown is the effectiveness of countermeasures such as noise attenuating devices in such circumstances.

Using the effect of alcohol as a comparison to illustrate the detrimental effects of noise on performance.

The aim of the present research is to provide a user-friendly index of the relative impairment associated with noise in the aircraft cabin. As such, the relative effect of noise, at a level typical of an aircraft cabin was compared with varying levels of alcohol intoxication in the same subjects. Since the detrimental effect of noise is more pronounced on non-native speakers, both native English and non-native English speakers featured in the study.

Impairment of a speed management strategy in young drivers under high cognitive workload.

Background: A training method known as Episodic training has shown promise in reducing speeding behavior in young drivers (Prabhakharan and Molesworth, 2011). The present study aimed to investigate how cognitive resources are utilized to implement this behavioral change.

Method: 60 participants were randomly divided into four groups and completed a simulated training drive in Week 1 followed by a 10km simulated test drive in Week 2.

Repairing faulty scripts to reduce speeding behaviour in young drivers.

Background: Young drivers under the age of 25 throughout the world continue to be over-represented in motor vehicle accidents (WHO, 2007). A contributing factor to a large number of these motor vehicle accidents is speeding. Reducing drivers' tendency to speed remains a challenge.

Defining the drivers for accepting decision making automation in air traffic management.

Air Traffic Management (ATM) operators are under increasing pressure to improve the efficiency of their operation to cater for forecasted increases in air traffic movements. One solution involves increasing the utilisation of automation within the ATM system. The success of this approach is contingent on Air Traffic Control Operators' (ATCOs) willingness to accept increased levels of automation.

Rehearsal and verbal reminders in facilitating compliance with safety rules.

Accidents and incidents often occur, because a basic and seemingly simple rule is 'forgotten', either unintentionally (error, lapse) or with some degree of deliberate negligence (violation). The present experiment examined the utility of a rehearsal and a last-minute reminder in reducing the magnitude of deviations from an important safety rule by qualified, but relatively inexperienced pilots, specifically, remaining above an altitude of 500-ft. A single rehearsal flight entailing a search for a target on the ground increased the minimum altitude in later flights, but this positive effect did not completely generalize when the target on the ground was changed.

Promoting learning, memory, and transfer in a time-constrained, high hazard environment.

Two methods of metacognitive reflection for promoting compliance with an aviation safety rule were tested in a transfer design. Two groups of pilots (n = 10) conducted a simulated flight entailing a search for a target on the ground. During this flight, only 35% of the pilots stayed above an altitude of 500 ft, the minimum allowed by relevant regulations.

Predicting pilots' risk-taking behavior through an implicit association test.

Objective: The Implicit Association Test (IAT), in combination with a battery of additional psychometric tests, was employed to examine the accuracy with which it predicts pilots' risk-taking behavior.

Background: Risk management is an integral part of piloting. Many factors affect pilots' risk management, including individual differences.