视觉特征提取加工中的认知可塑性

本研究采用“加因素法”研究范式,通过两个实验分别检测20名飞行员和lO名老年被试及其相应控制组在视觉特征提取任务上的认知加工水平,旨在探讨视觉特征提取这一高水平视觉表象加工上的认知可塑性水平。研究结果表明,视觉特征提取加工既表现出了随外界系统训练而发生功能增强的练习效应,也表现出了随年老化过程而发生相应功能显著改变的年龄效应。研究提示,由于受大脑神经细胞活动特性改变的影响,视觉特征提取加工更多地表现出了可塑性或易变性相对较高的认知特性。结合相关的工作基础,研究结果还进一步证实高水平视觉认知加工所表现出的练习效应和年龄效应在大脑神经网络上的分布是不平衡的。本研究不仅对于揭示高水平视觉表象加工的认知特性具有重要的理论意义,而且在实践中对于建立飞行员、宇航员等特殊职业人员的选拔模型以及揭示飞行空间定向障碍的认知机制也具有重要的应用价值。     

Prediction of situational awareness in F-15 pilots

Situational awareness (SA) is a skill often deemed essential to pilot performance in both combat and noncombat flying. A study was conducted to determine if SA in U.S. Air Force F-15 pilots could be predicted. The participants were 171 active duty F-15 A/C pilots who completed a test battery representative of various psychological constructs proposed or demonstrated to be valid for the prediction of performance in a wide variety of military and civilian jobs. These predictors encompassed measures of cognitive ability, psychomotor ability, and personality. Supervisor and peer ratings of SA were collected. Supervisors and peers showed substantial agreement on the SA ratings of the pilots. The first unrotated principle component extracted from the supervisor and peer ratings accounted for 92.5% of the variability of ratings. The unrotated first principal component served as the SA criterion. Flying experience measured in number of F-15 hours was the best predictor of SA. After controlling for the effects of F-15 flying hours, the measures of general cognitive ability based on working memory, spatial reasoning, and divided attention were found to be predictive of SA. Psychomotor and personality measures were not predictive. With additional F-15 flying hours it is expected that pilots would improve their ratings of SA.     

Expectations of obese trainees: how stigmatized trainee characteristics influence training effectiveness

This study identifies stigma as a potential precursor to self-fulfilling prophecies in training interactions. Expectations held by leaders often result in actions that elicit expectancy-confirming behaviors from their subordinates. The results of the present study suggest that trainee weight (manipulated with a photograph depicting the trainee as either obese or average weight for height) influenced female trainer expectations and evaluations of the training and trainee. Furthermore, the results suggest that negative expectations held by trainers were related to trainee evaluations of the training and the trainer and, for less flexible trainers, to decrements in trainee performance on the trained task. Overall, the results suggest that trainer expectations can be influenced by stereotypes held about trainee characteristics, thus undermining training effectiveness.     

All's well that ends well? Outcome bias in pilots during instrument flight rules

The objective of the present study was to examine if the Outcome Bias also occurs in pilots flying under instrument flight rules (IFR). In a scenario-based survey, 60 pilots evaluated weather-related decisions made by hypothetical pilots. Participants rated the decisions as better, less risky, and regarded the probability that they would have made the same decision as higher when they were followed by a positive outcome, than when they were followed by a negative outcome. This effect showed likewise for novice pilots and for experienced pilots. These findings could be relevant for the flight-related decision-making of pilots, which sometimes is affected by the decisions made by third-party pilots. In particular, decisions made by other pilots that have led to positive outcomes might be hastily followed, whereas those that have led to negative outcomes might be hastily rejected.     

飞行中惊吓和惊奇的管理——拓展的Landman模型

在飞行活动中,飞行员的惊吓和惊奇反应是导致飞行失控的重要因素。惊吓和惊奇反应可能使飞行员熟练训练过的操作程序和技能被遗忘,取而代之的是不适当的直觉性的行为或草率的决策。现有的使用飞行模拟器的研究表明,Landman模型对减轻飞行员惊吓和惊奇的训练有重要价值。在Landman模型的基础上,我们加入了飞行员心理能力的个体间差别（即拓展的Landman模型）,因此拓展的Landman模型对于飞行员的选拔和训练将具有重要意义。     

The cognitive underpinnings of creative thought: A latent variable analysis exploring the roles of intelligence and working memory in three creative thinking processes

The field of creativity has largely focused on individual differences in divergent thinking abilities. Recently, contemporary creativity researchers have shown that intelligence and executive functions play an important role in divergent thought, opening new lines of research to examine how higher-order cognitive mechanisms may uniquely contribute to creative thinking. The present study extends previous research on the intelligence and divergent thinking link by systematically examining the relationships among intelligence, working memory, and three fundamental creative processes: associative fluency, divergent thinking, and convergent thinking. Two hundred and sixty five participants were recruited to complete a battery of tasks that assessed a range of elementary to higher-order cognitive processes related to intelligence and creativity. Results provide evidence for an associative basis in two distinct creative processes: divergent thinking and convergent thinking. Findings also supported recent work suggesting that intelligence significantly influences creative thinking. Finally, working memory played a significant role in creative thinking processes. Recasting creativity as a construct consisting of distinct higher-order cognitive processes has important implications for future approaches to studying creativity within an individual differences framework.     

A new objectively scored version of the Defence Mechanism Test

Kragh's Defence Mechanism Test has proved its worth in a number of applied settings but has hitherto required skilled time-consuming interpretation. Two studies are reported which validate an "objectively scored" version of the test developed using G-analysis. In the first, it was found that this version of the test could successfully predict the performance of trainee pilots. The second study examined the construct validity of this version of the test. It was found that the predictive factor from Study I re-emerged within a sample of students, where it correlated positively with scores on a test of perceptual defence and the Shrewdness (N) scale of the 16PF, and negatively with two of the identification scales of the Defence Mechanism Test. This factor was tentatively identified as one of general defensiveness. It is concluded that this form of the test deserves consideration when selecting individuals for stressful occupations.     

Preliminary examination of timesharing in United States Air Force ROTC cadets

Previous research has shown that timesharing ability--the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously--is related to various indices of aircraft pilots' proficiency. Superior timesharing has also been demonstrated by experienced pilots. The present study examined timesharing of United States Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) cadets, who are relatively inexperienced (some with no flying experience). 10 AFROTC cadets (M age = 21.4 yr., SD = 1.0) and 18 noncadets (M age = 19.8 yr., SD = 0.9) were evaluated. Participants performed a tracking task on the Multi-Attribute Task battery in a single-task condition, a dual-task condition, and a tri-task condition. Cadets' tracking performance was superior to that by noncadets in the dual-task and tri-task conditions.     

On the relation between personality and job performance of airline pilots

The validity of a personality questionnaire for the prediction of job success of airline pilots is compared to validities of a simulator checkflight and of flying experience data. During selection, 274 pilots applying for employment with a European charter airline were examined with a multidimensional personality questionnaire (Temperature Structure Scales; TSS). Additionally, the applicants were graded in a simulator checkflight. On the basis of training records, the pilots were classified as performing at standard or below standard after about 3 years of employment in the hiring company. In a multiple-regression model, this dichotomous criterion for job success can be predicted with 73.8% accuracy through the simulator checkflight and flying experience prior to employment. By adding the personality questionnaire to the regression equation, the number of correct classifications increases to 79.3%. On average, successful pilots score substantially higher on interpersonal scales and lower on emotional scales of the TSS.     

Salivary chromogranin-A as a marker of psychological stress during a cognitive test battery in humans

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the salivary Chromogranin-A (CgA) response to the psychological stress induced by a cognitive test battery. The subjects were 14 healthy volunteers administered the cognitive test battery CogScreen Aeromedical Edition (CogScreen-AE). CogScreen-AE is a test of reaction time and fundamental cognitive ability in the assessment of aeroplane pilots. The subjects were given five batteries of the test (1st approximately 5th) on separate days with 2 week intervals. Saliva samples were collected at 20 min before the test (BASE), immediately before the test (PRE), in the middle of the test (MID), and 5 min after the test (POS) for each subject. The concentration of CgA was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ANOVA revealed a significant by time interaction (BASE, PRE, MID and POS) without a significant effect of battery interaction (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th). The CgA concentration increased at PRE (2.46 +/- 0.24 pmol.mg protein- 1) from BASE (1.19 +/- 0.10 pmol.mg protein- 1). CgA level remained increased in the MID (2.90 +/- 0.26 pmol.mg protein- 1) and remained high in the POS samples (2.81 +/- 0.23 pmol.mg protein- 1). Salivary CgA remained at basal levels during a control study over the same time course without exposure to CogScreen-AE. The changes in salivary CgA secretion as a result of exposure to a cognitive task may indicate psychological stress in humans.     

Predictive validation of an insurance agent support person selection battery

This study investigated the predictive validity of a selection battery for insurance agent support persons. The selection battery included cognitive tests, personality scales, and biodata scales. Predictor data were collected as part of the agent support person selection process. Behavior summary scale ratings made by immediate supervisors of agent support persons were used as criteria in this study. Uncorrected correlations for six matched predictor composite-criterion dimension combinations identified in a previous concurrent validation study (Ashworth, Barge, Dunnette, & Carter, 1987) ranged from .17 (p<. 01) to .28 (p< .01) (M=.21, N=357).     

Productive and Re‐productive Thinking in Solving Insight Problems

Many innovations in organizations result when people discover insightful solutions to problems. Insightful problem‐solving was considered by Gestalt psychologists to be associated with productive, as opposed to re‐productive, thinking. Productive thinking is characterized by shifts in perspective which allow the problem solver to consider new, sometimes transformational, approaches. Re‐productive thinking, on the other hand, involves the application of familiar, routine, procedures. This article reports a study which investigated how self‐reported productive and re‐productive thinking are related to an individual's ability to solve insight problems. Our measures were tested against the Kirton Adaption‐Innovation Inventory (KAI), and a battery of spatial insight problems. The results indicated that productive and re‐productive thinking and the KAI were successful in predicting performance on spatial insight problems. Furthermore, the measures of productive and re‐productive thinking accounted for spatial insight performance independently of scores on the KAI. In addition, the results suggested that re‐productive thinking consists of two different components—one based on group conventions and the other on personal experience. Each contributed differently to solving insight problems.     

航线驾驶安全行为多维评价量表的构建

结合现代航线驾驶工作特性及CRM和TEM模型基础上, 通过文献分析、专家访谈和开放式问卷调查, 筛选出现代航线飞行员驾驶安全所必备的27种关键行为特征, 构成中国文化背景下航线驾驶安全行为评价量表的检测项目。对118名中国航线飞行员测评数据的验证性因素分析表明, 由自动化系统认识、领导和管理、情境意识与决策、人际交流与合作技能组成的四维模型优于其他假设模型, 且在四个飞行阶段中均具有良好的信度和结构效度。以其中86名飞行员的安全绩效考核(安全规章、飞行作风、飞行技能和机组管理)数据和飞行员在每个飞行阶段的驾驶安全行为总体表现为效标变量, 以航线驾驶安全行为评价量表四个维度上的驾驶行为特征为预测变量分别进行层次回归分析, 结果表明: 航线驾驶安全行为多维评价量表具有良好的预测效度; 四个维度变量对维护不同飞行阶段的驾驶安全行为分别具有显著的贡献性, 且这种贡献性因飞行阶段的任务不同而有所差异。航线安全驾驶行为多维评价量表的构建, 不仅为航线飞行员安全驾驶行为规范性评估、机组驾驶行为问题诊断以及安全绩效考核提供了一套客观有效的评价工具, 而且也为有针对性的设计航线飞行员选拔模式和有效实施机组人员非技术性技能/CRM训练提供了一个良好的理论基础。     

The effect of supervisor and trainee therapist gender on supervision discourse

The effects of supervisor and trainee therapist gender on supervision discourse were examined in this study. Forty episodes of supervision discourse, with ten drawn from each of four types of supervision systems were videotaped. The systems were (1) male supervisor and male trainee therapist; (2) male supervisor and female trainee therapist; (3) female supervisor and male trainee therapist; and (4) female supervisor and female trainee therapist. The episodes of supervision discourse were analysed using a supervision discourse coding system which showed adequate inter-rater reliability. For supervisors, the coding system allowed a directive discourse style and a collaborative discourse styled to be coded. A cooperative discourse style and a resistant discourse style could be coded for trainee therapists. Two statistically significant findings of considerable theoretical and clinical importance emerged. First, contrary to stereotypic expectations, discourse characterized by a directive supervision style and a resistant trainee therapist style was more common for systems containing a female supervisor than for those containing a male supervisor. Second, for same gender supervisor-trainee-therapist supervision systems, a collaborative systemic supervision style was correlated with both cooperative and resistant trainee therapist styles. This discourse pattern did not occur for opposite gender supervision systems, indicating that a collaborative supervision discourse style is consistently associated with trainee therapist parti-cipation (either cooperatively or resistantly) within same gender pairings of supervisors and trainee therapists. These results are discussed in light of relevant literature on gender, power and supervision process and the limitations of the study are considered.     

Effects of flight workload on urinary catecholamine responses in experienced military pilots

This study investigated the flight responses induced by strenuous aerobatic demonstration flight and an air-to-air combat maneuvering flight in experienced pilots. Subjects were 54 military male pilots on a volunteer basis: 8 T-4 pilots (M= 35.8 yr., SD=4.9), 15 F-4 pilots (M=32.6 yr., SD=5.1), 13 F-15 pilots (M=33.8 yr., SD=1.0), and 18 F-2 pilots (M=33.7 yr., SD=3.9). Samples of urine were collected approximately 30 min. before and 20 min. after the flights. The postflight adrenaline in all pilots was significantly higher than at preflight, while a significant increase in noradrenaline at postflight was not observed. The post-/preflight ratio of adrenaline in all pilots was relatively similar and high. These findings might be regarded as a result of autonomic nervous system response to the flight workload of military pilots. Especially is increment in sympathetic activity considered to play an important part in psychological adaptation to flight.     

Estimating Creativity with a Multiple-Measurement Approach Within Scientific and Artistic Domains

This article presents the structure and the composition of a newly developed multifaceted test battery for the measurement of creativity within scientific and artistic domains. By integrating existing procedures for the evaluation of creativity, the new battery promises to become a comprehensive assessment of creativity, encompassing both domain-general and domain-specific components. In particular, the test battery was designed for the measurement of the 2 main stages of the creative thinking process: ideation and evaluation. The test battery also includes 2 measures of creative achievement and can be used to assess professional levels of creativity in artistic and scientific creativity, as well as everyday creativity. Because creative thinking is not an isolated phenomenon in human behavior, the battery includes the measurement of 2 constructs, intelligence and personality, both of which are highly relevant for creativity. Preliminary results from a vast administration campaign of this test battery are presented.     

Pilot selection in the Norwegian Air Force: a validation and meta-analysis of the test battery

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test battery currently used for pilot selection to the Norwegian Air Force. Selection is currently based on a standard battery of 20 different psychological tests as well as on medical tests and on an interview by a licensed psychologist. First, two-factor analyses were conducted to examine the relation between the tests in the battery. Then, a correlation study was conducted to evaluate the predictive validity of the tests against two criteria of pilot performance collected during the basic training period. Finally, a small-scale meta-analysis of previous validation studies in Norway was conducted. me best predictors of success in training, based on the meta-analysis, were Instrument Comprehension (mean r = .29), Mechanical Principles (mean r = .23), and Aviation Information (mean r = .22)     

PROJECT A: SPECIFICATION OF THE PREDICTOR DOMAIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SELECTION/ CLASSIFICATION TESTS

A major goal of the Army Selection and Classification Project was to develop an experimental predictor battery that would best supplement the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery for making selection and classification decisions for entry-level enlisted personnel. That is, what predictor measures would best serve the needs of all the jobs in an entire selection/classification system? This paper describes the characteristics of the new test battery and the procedures that were used to develop it. The major steps in the procedure were a structured literature search using a standard protocol, an extensive expert judgment study of expected true validities for a population of predictor variables against a population of performance components, fabrication of modularized software and a special response pedestal for computerized measurement of perceptual and psychomotor abilities, evaluations of experimental measures in three iterative pilot tests and one major field test, and a series of reviews by a panel of scientific advisers. The test battery that resulted from this 2 1/2-year development effort is described. The basic psychometric properties of each measure, as determined in a large concurrent validation sample, are also described.     

The mental health of pilots: An overview

The impact and long-term psychological consequences of the 11th September 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA involving commercial aircraft are likely to be far-reaching. Pilots were directly affected by these events though it is too early to comprehend the specific psychological and occupational repercussions. While psychologists have written much on the selection of commercial and military aircrew, surprisingly little has been published on the mental health of pilots. They are a unique occupational group in terms of their selection, training, lifestyle, frequent competency and medical checks, as well as the nature and changing demands placed on them. Their 'office' is normally a cramped flight deck on board an aircraft at altitudes of thousands of feet. While some aspects of their job and lifestyle appear attractive to some, their working conditions are, at worst, inhospitable and unpleasant. This paper provides an overview of current research on the mental health of pilots, gathered from a number of different fields and specialities within commercial and military aviation. The review covers their lifestyle, psychological requirements for medical certification, psychological problems amongst air crew, personality factors, disruption to personal relationships, reactions to incidents and accidents, alcohol and drug misuse, suicide by aircraft and environmental challenges. Flight crew should have easy access to psychological support; however, many pilots are distrusting of mental health professionals. Further research is needed to improve an understanding of mental health issues among pilots, especially in order to better understand the psychological impact of the terrorist attacks upon them.     

A multidimensional approach for selecting child care workers

A multidimensional selection battery was designed to predict a variety of criteria important in the selection of child care workers. The battery assesses constructs related to honesty, violence, substance abuse, emotional stability and safety. A series of studies were used to test the validity of the selection battery. Scores on the test battery were compared with those from three alternative selection procedures to define the measured constructs. Three additional studies show the relation of scores on the selection battery and the behavior of child care workers. The test battery was correlated with the job performance of child care workers and identified adults convicted for sexual offenses against minors.