Abstract
Cognitive ability test is an important part of pilot selection and is always considered as the best indicator to predict pilot training efficiency. China’s pilot cadets are selected from the age of 18. At present, researchers have proposed whether this age can be appropriately advanced? Therefore, the research on the relationship between cognitive ability and flight performance in adolescents was started among 222 high school students in Junior Aviation School, in order to provide theoretical basis for the daily training of high school pilot cadets. In Study 1, 134 students completed 11 cognitive tests on Lenovo Myoga Tab 3 Plus tablets and experienced flight driving for the first time. Their flight driving performance were evaluated by their instructors. Pearson correlation results showed that spatial cognitive ability (r = .244) and cognitive flexibility (r = −.186) were significantly correlated with flight driving performance. Study 2 explored the relationship between executive function and flight driving performance. Inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility were tested as the index of executive functions with E-Prime 2.0 software (PST Inc.). The results of study 2 were similar to those of study 1. Spatial working memory (r = −.185) and cognitive flexibility (r = .192) were significantly correlated with first time flight driving performance. Our results support the idea that general cognitive ability is an important predictor of success in pilot training, even in early adolescence. In the future, more studies are needed to explore the plasticity of cognitive flexibility and spatial working memory in adolescents, and whether the improvement of cognitive ability is beneficial to flight driving.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Dockeray, F.C., Isaacs, S.: Psychological research in aviation in Italy, France, England, and the American expeditionary forces. J. Comp. Psychol. 1(2), 115–148 (1921)
Yerkes, R.M.: Report of the psychology committee of the national research council. Psychol. Rev. 26(2), 83–149 (1919)
Stratton, G.M., et al.: Psychological tests for selecting aviators. J. Exp. Psychol. 3, 405–423 (1920)
Hunter, D.R., Burke, E.F.: Pilot selection: meta-analysis of the research findings. In: 19th Conference of the Western European Association for Aviation-Psychology. WEAAP, Nice (1991)
Hilton, T.F., Dolgin, D., Pilot selection in the military of the free world. In: Handbook of Military Psychology. Wiley, New York (1991)
Thompson, A., Steinbeis, N.: Sensitive periods in executive function development. Curr. Opin. Behav. Sci. 36, 98–105 (2020)
Mak, C., et al.: Efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for attention and executive function in children and adolescents-a systematic review. Mindfulness 9(1), 59–78 (2018)
Rolle, C.E., et al.: Enhancing spatial attention and working memory in younger and older adults. J. Cogn. Neurosci. 29(9), 1483–1497 (2017)
Karbach, J.: Plasticity of executive functions in childhood and adolescence: effects of cognitive training interventions. Rev. Argentina Ciencias Comport. 7(1), 64–70 (2015)
Wass, S.V., Scerif, G., Johnson, M.H.: Training attentional control and working memory - is younger, better? Dev. Rev. 32(4), 360–387 (2012)
Carretta, T.R., et al.: Consistency of the relations of cognitive ability and personality traits to pilot training performance. Int. J. Aviat. Psychol. 24(4), 247–264 (2014)
King, R.E., et al.: Standard cognitive psychological tests predict military pilot training outcomes. Aviat. Psychol. Appl. Hum. Factors 3(1), 28 (2013)
Causse, M., Dehais, F., Pastor, J.: Executive functions and pilot characteristics predict flight simulator performance in general aviation pilots. Int. J. Aviat. Psychol. 21(3), 217–234 (2011)
Causse, M., Chua, Z., Matton, N.: Performance and brain activity during a spatial working memory task: application to pilot candidate selection. In: Ayaz, H. (ed.) AHFE 2019. AISC, vol. 953, pp. 45–55. Springer, Cham (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20473-0_5
Caponecchia, C., Zheng, W.Y., Regan, M.A.: Selecting trainee pilots: predictive validity of the WOMBAT situational awareness pilot selection test. Appl. Ergonomics. 73, 100–107 (2018)
Johnson, J.F., et al.: Predictive validity of spatial ability and perceptual speed tests for aviator training. Int. J. Aerosp. Psychol. 27(3–4), 109–120 (2017)
Almamari, K., Traynor, A.: Multiple test batteries as predictors for pilot performance: a meta-analytic investigation. Int. J. Sel. Assess. 27(4), 337–356 (2019)
Verde, P., et al.: Domain-specific interference tests on navigational working memory in military pilots. Aerosp. Med. Hum. Perform. 87(6), 528–533 (2016)
Verde, P., et al.: Gender differences in navigational memory: pilots vs. nonpilots. Aerosp. Med. Hum. Perform. 86(2), 103–111 (2015)
Diamond, A.: Executive functions. In: Fiske, S.T. (ed.) Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 64, pp. 135–168 (2013)
Miyake, A., et al.: The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex “frontal lobe” tasks: a latent variable analysis. Cogn. Psychol. 41(1), 49–100 (2000)
Wang, H., et al.: Working memory: a criterion of potential practicality for pilot candidate selection. Int. J. Aerosp. Psychol. 28(3–4), 64–75 (2019)
Verde, P., et al.: Spatial orientation and directional judgments in pilots vs. nonpilots. Aerosp. Med. Hum. Perform. 89(10), 857–862 (2018)
Sladky, R., et al.: Neurobiological differences in mental rotation and instrument interpretation in airline pilots. Sci. Rep. 6, 1–6 (2016)
Carretta, T.R.: Pilot candidate selection method: still an effective predictor of US air force pilot training performance. Aviat. Psychol. Appl. Hum. Factors 1(1), 3–8 (2011)
Cannavo, R., Conti, D., Di Nuovo, A.: Computer-aided assessment of aviation pilots attention: design of an integrated test and its empirical validation. Appl. Comput. Inf. 12(1), 16–26 (2016)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Tan, J., Sun, X. (2021). The Relationship Between Cognitive Ability and Flight Driving Performance in Adolescent Pilot Cadets. In: Harris, D., Li, WC. (eds) Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics. HCII 2021. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12767. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77932-0_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77932-0_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-77931-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-77932-0
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)