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Automation and cognition in air traffic control: An empirical investigation
Author(s) -
Vortac O. U.,
Edwards Mark B.,
Fuller Dana K.,
Manning Carol A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.2350070707
Subject(s) - automation , recall , prospective memory , workload , cognition , air traffic control , task (project management) , psychology , control (management) , cognitive psychology , poison control , situation awareness , computer science , artificial intelligence , engineering , neuroscience , medicine , medical emergency , systems engineering , mechanical engineering , aerospace engineering , operating system
Abstract Several investigators have expressed concern that the imminent automation of air traffic control may have negative consequences on cognitive functioning, and ultimately on performance. We investigated these possibilities empirically by comparing normal, conventional air traffic control with an experimental condition designed to resemble an extreme version of automation. Overall, measures of performance were comparable between conditions. Most of the cognitive measures (attentional demands, visual search, recall of flights, recall of flight data) were not impaired by the automation analogue. Instead, two prospective measures (prospective memory, planning) showed improved performance. The prospective memory advantage is particularly surprising given that the automation‐analogue group was unable to manipulate external memory aids. Possible reasons for the prospective memory advantage include a reduced workload, which allows the controller to get the necessary information in other ways, and a change in the nature of the task resulting from the “automation” of the strip management module.