liu.seSearch for publications in DiVA
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • oxford
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Mental Workload in Aircraft and Simulator during Basic Civil Aviation Training
Lund University School of Aviation, Ljungbyhed, Sweden.
Linköping University, Department of Management and Engineering. Linköping University, The Institute of Technology. Swedish Defence Research Agency , Linköping, Sweden.
2009 (English)In: The International journal of aviation psychology, ISSN 1050-8414, E-ISSN 1532-7108, Vol. 19, no 4, p. 309-325Article in journal (Other academic) Published
Abstract [en]

This study investigated mental workload in basic civil aviation training. Heart rate, eye movement and subjective ratings from eleven students were collected during simulator and aircraft sessions. Results show high correspondence in psychophysiological reactions between the sessions. For some flight segments heart rate was consistently lower in the simulator, suggesting higher mental workload in the aircraft. Differences in heart rate during rejected take-off and engine failure indicate that the increase of workload starts in advance of an “unexpected“ event in the simulator and seem to be of preparatory nature, while more connected to management of the situation in the aircraft. Descriptors: psychophysiology, mental workload, aviation training, flight simulation, learning transfer

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Taylor & Francis, 2009. Vol. 19, no 4, p. 309-325
National Category
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-17542DOI: 10.1080/10508410903187547ISI: 000273720100001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-17542DiVA, id: diva2:209994
Available from: 2009-03-30 Created: 2009-03-30 Last updated: 2017-12-13Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Flight Simulator Training: Assessing the Potential
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Flight Simulator Training: Assessing the Potential
2009 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Mental workload is an important concept and has been proven to be a precursor to situation awareness and operative performance. This thesis describes methods to measure mental workload through self-ratings and psychophysiological measurements. Similarities and differences in psychophysiological reactions and rated mental workload between simulated and real flights are described. The consequences of such similarities and differences are discussed and its possible effect on training potential.

A number of empirical studies are presented. They describe the experience and the psychophysiological reactions of pilots flying in a simulator and in real flight. In most cases, the reactions are similar – there is a high degree of accordance in rated mental workload and psychophysiological reaction between simulated and real flight. The studies show, that even though the responses are similar, there are also interesting differences. In one study, the pilots have consistently lower heart rate, higher heart rate variability and less eye movements in the simulator than in real flight. In another study, during certain events, the pilots have higher heart rate in the simulator than in real flight. The results are important in order to understand the training potential of simulators from a human factors perspective. Further, two measurement equipments for psychophysiological recording are compared and various psychophysiological measures are tested in applied settings.

The thesis also discusses some methodological aspects, such as methods to create reliable and valid variables in dynamic applied research and how to deal with individual differences. An algorithm is suggested to remove differences between individuals. This facilitates the finding of within-participant effects.

Finally, results from a study on embedded training tools are presented. In this study, student pilots and instructors rated the usefulness of several embedded training tools. These tools were built into a simulator to facilitate learning and teaching by illustrating concepts that can be difficult to understand. The results show clearly that such training tools are appreciated by both students and instructors. Well implemented, thoroughly selected training tools can dramatically improve the training potential of future training simulators.

Abstract [sv]

Mental arbetsbelastning är ett viktigt begrepp som har visat sig kunna predicera bland annat situationsmedvetande och operativ prestation. Avhandlingen visar olika sätt att mäta mental arbetsbelastning, bland annat genom självskattningar och psykofysiologiska mått. Skillnader och likheter i psykofysiologisk reaktion och skattad mental arbetsbelastning mellan simulerad och verklig flygning beskrivs. Betydelsen av sådana skillnader och dess konsekvenser för möjligheten till träningseffekt diskuteras.

Ett antal studier beskrivs som handlar om upplevelsen och de fysiologiska reaktionerna hos piloter som flyger i simulatorer och i verklig flygning. I de flesta fall förekommer likartade reaktioner i simulatorn som i verkligheten. Det finns en stor grad av överensstämmelse både vad gäller psykofysiologisk reaktion och upplevd mental arbetsbelastning. Men studierna visar också att även om reaktionerna är lika, så skiljer de sig också åt på några viktiga punkter. Piloter som genomför ett uppdrag i en simulator är inte lika stressade som i verklig flygning. De har lägre puls och högre pulsvariabilitet. I vissa enstaka fall har piloterna högre puls i simulatorn än i motsvarande fall i verklig flygning. Resultaten är viktiga för att förstå hur nyttan av simulatorer kan utvärderas ur ett användningsperspektiv. Vidare jämförs två olika utrustningar för psykofysiologisk mätning och olika psykofysiologiska mått testas i tillämpade miljöer.

Olika utrustningar för att mäta psykofysiologisk reaktion jämförs och olika psykofysiologiska mått diskuteras. Avhandlingen problematiserar olika metodologiska aspekter, såsom metoder för att skapa reliabla och valida mått i dynamisk tillämpad forskning, samt metoder för att hantera individuella skillnader. En algoritm föreslås för att eliminera olikheter mellan individer. Den underlättar upptäckandet av inomindividseffekter.

Avslutningsvis presenteras resultaten från en studie avsedd att mäta inställning till ett antal inbyggda pedagogiska träningsverktyg. De verktyg som fanns inbyggda i simulatorn var framtagna för att förbättra träningseffekten genom att konkretisera koncept och relationer som kan vara svåra att förstå. Pilotelever och instruktörer fick flyga i en simulator och gavs sedan möjligheten att pröva olika träningsverktyg. Resultaten visar tydligt ett positivt intresse för träningsverktygen både från elever och från instruktörer. Väl implementerade noggrant utvalda träningsverktyg, kan kraftigt förbättra träningseffektiviteten i framtida träningssimulatorer.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Linköping: Linköping University Electronic Press, 2009. p. 45
Series
Linköping Studies in Science and Technology. Dissertations, ISSN 0345-7524 ; 1250
National Category
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-17546 (URN)978-91-7393-658-3 (ISBN)
Public defence
2009-04-03, ACAS, A-huset, Campus Valla, Linköpings universitet, Linköping, 13:15 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2009-03-30 Created: 2009-03-30 Last updated: 2020-02-19Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textLink to Ph.D. Thesis
By organisation
Department of Management and EngineeringThe Institute of Technology
In the same journal
The International journal of aviation psychology
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 1297 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • oxford
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf