A Neuroergonomic Quasi-Experiment: Predictors of Situation Awareness and Display Usability with USAF Pilots while Performing Complex Tasks

Situation awareness (SA) is the psychological ability and capacity to perceive information and act on it acceptably. This ability is central to human behavior. Existing theoretical models explain many aspects of SA; however, knowledge about its development out of basic perceptual abilities was insufficient. This quantitative research examined basic neurocognitive factors in order to identify their specific contributions to the formation of SA, to address this fundamental discontinuity in theory. Piloting was the chosen task. Visual attentiveness (Va), perceptiveness (V p), and spatial working memory (Vswm) were assessed as predictors of SA under varying task difficulty. Factorial and repeated-measures ANOVAs, Pearson correlation, and linear multiple regression modeling were used to determine the effects of these independent variables on the dependent variable SA and the interactions. The study participants were 19 C-27J pilots, selected from the Ohio Air National Guard. Neurocognitive tests were administered to the participants prior to flight. In-flight SA was objectively and subjectively assessed for 24 flights. At the completion of this field experiment, the data were analyzed and the tests were statistically significant for the three predictor visual abilities Vp, Va, and Vswm as task difficulty was varied, F(3,11) = 8.125, p = .008. In addition, multiple regression analyses revealed that the visual abilities together predicted a majority of the variance in SA, R2 = 0.753, p = .008. Moreover, the Pearson correlation results indicated that Vp (r[12] = -0.816, p = .002) had the strongest relationship of the three neurocognitive factors for the overall flight. Post-hoc tests revealed a Cohen's f(2 )=3.05 yielding statistical power to be 0.98. This indicates that possessing the ability to have a perceptivity, to be insightful, and to have discernment, is most important. During high task difficulty Va (r[12] = -0.583, p = .046) had the strongest correlation with SA, while during low task difficulty it was Vswm (r[12] = -0.634, p = .026). This work results in a significant contribution to the field by providing an improved understanding of SA, an Enhanced-Theoretical Model of SA, and potentially safer travel for society worldwide. It is recommended research be extended to other populations.