Aviation Psychology

Aviation Psychology is concerned with behavior, action, cognitive and emotional processes of humans in the environment of complex systems in aviation and space, including cross-cultural, inter- and intraindividual differences.
Aviation Psychology develops and applies empirically based methods and tools from scientific psychology especially the applied areas of work-, organisational-, personnel-, diagnostic-, health- and clinical psychology. Aviation Psychologists take the responsibility for the psychological part in:
- selection, training and licencing
- optimisation of working conditions and system development
- reduction of safety risks
- accident and incident investigation
- crisis intervention and clinical psychological intervention
- capacity and workload management
- quality of team work and team resources
The interdisciplinary work of Aviation Psychologists follows international ethical standards of psychologists.
(Kallus, Hoffmann et al., 2004)

Related Definitions

Accident*
An occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until such time as all such persons have disembarked, in which:
a) a person is fatally or seriously injured as a result of
• being in the aircraft, or
• direct contact with any part of the aircraft, including parts which have become detached from the aircraft, or
• direct exposure to jet blast,
except when the injuries are from natural causes, self inflicted or inflicted by other persons, or when the injuries are to stowaways hiding outside the areas normally available to the passengers and crew: or
b) the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure which:
• adversely affects the structural strength, performance or flight characteristics of the aircraft, and
• would normally require major repair or replacement of the affected component,
except for engine failure or damage. when the damage is limited to the engine, its cowlings or accessories: or for damage limited to propellers, wing tips, antennas, tires, brakes, fairings, small dents or puncture holes in the aircraft skin: or
c) the aircraft is missing or is completely inaccessible. (International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13)

Air traffic control (ATC)*
The primary function of an air traffic control system is to keep aircraft participating in the system separated from one another. Secondary reasons for the operation of an ATC system are to make more efficient use of airspace, and to provide additional services to pilots such as traffic information, weather avoidance, and navigational assistance.

Errors*
Errors occur when people are operating at the limits of modes of processing. Errors result from missuse of normally effective processes. The concept of relating error types to modes of processing was first suggested by Rasmussen (1982).

Group process*
Group process is the intragroup and intergroup actions that transform resources into a product; these processes serve to maintain the group and to help the group directly in achieving their goals. (Gladstein, 1984, p. 500).

Human Factors*
Human factors in aviation are involved with the study of human's capabilities, limitations, and behaviours and the integration of that knowledge into the system we design for them with the goals of enhancing safety, performance, and the general well-being of the operators of the system. (Koonce, 1979).
The study of psychophysical, psychological, and physiological variables which affect man's performance in an operational system. (Aviation & Space Dictionary. Aero Publishers, INC. 1974)

Incident*
An occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft which affects or could affect the safety of operation. (ICAO Annex 13)

Jet lag*
Air crews operating on long transmeridian flight have to cope with a shift of external time besides the shift of the working period. Therefore the individual biological rhythms have to adjust to abnormal working hours in a changed environmental context, in which a shift of time has occurred as well. The short-term problems arising from these conflicts are similar to those of normal shift work, but are often aggravated by the fatigue due to the extended duty periods and by loss of the usual external time cues. After a long transmimerisian flight, the circadian system does not adjust immediately to the new local time, but requires several days in relation to the number of time zones crossed; the greater the number, the longer is the time required, considering that human circadian system can adjust to no more than 60-90 min per day (Wegmann & Klein, 1985).

Simulation fidelity*
The degree of similarity between the training situation and the operational system which is simulated. It is a two dimensional measurement of this similarity in terms of 1. the physical characteristics, for example, visual, spatial, kinaesthetic, etc. and 2. the functional characteristics for example the informational, and stimulus response options of the training situation.

Situation awareness*
Situation awareness can be thought of as an internalized mental model of the current state of the flight environment. This integrated picture forms the central organizing feature from which all decision making and action takes place.
Situation awareness (SA) is formally defined as: "The perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning and the projection of their status in the near future." (Endsley, 1988)
SA therefore involves perceiving critical factors in the environment, understanding what those factors mean, particularly when integrated together in relation to the aircrew's goals, and at the highest level, understanding what will happen with the system in the near future. These higher levels of SA allow pilots to function in a time and effective manner.

* Garland, D. J., Wise, J. A. & Hopkin, V. D. (1999). Handbook of Aviation Human Factors. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates