Measurement of Team Situation Awareness in Low Experience Level Aviators

Abstract

Two measurement methods for situation awareness were tested on 2-person aircrews and compared for the information they yielded on team situation awareness. Forty-one crews of low experience level military aviators flew 2 different scenarios, 1 in a full-mission simulator, a 1 in a low-fidelity trainer. Team situation awareness was measured by instructor and observers in the high-fidelity simulator scenario and by responses to questions on flight knowledge in a scenario in the low-fidelity trainer. Scores on both measures were found to be reliable. Team situation awareness scores based on flight knowledge collected in the low-fidelity scenario were significantly correlated with team performance in the high-fidelity simulation (r = .41, p< .05). The 2 team situation awareness scores (1 from the high-fidelity simulation and 1 from the low-fidelity simulation) were also significantly correlated (r = .43, p< .05). These findings and related information are discussed in relation to the use of the measurements in situation awareness training for low experience level pilots.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research and development reported here was also partially supported by the Federal Aviation Administration Human Factors Research and Engineering Group (ATOP–Human Factors; Terry Allard, Program Director). All opinions stated in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion or position of the University of Central Florida or the Federal Aviation Administration.