Individual Differences in Pilot Situation Awareness

Abstract

Although anecdotal evidence has suggested considerable individual differences in the abilities of pilots to acquire and maintain situation awareness (SA), specific research to validate this claim and investigate the locus of such differences is lacking. This article presents an initial investigation of individual differences in SA. A study was conducted in which experienced fighter pilots completed a battery of tests to measure their abilities along key dimensions hypothesized to be important for SA. These measures were compared to subjects' abilities in situation awareness. The presence of consistent individual differences in SA abilities was supported and several key abilities were identified.