A Review of Situation Awareness Literature Relevant to Pilot Surveillance Functions

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute2002PDFTech ReportUhlarik, JohnComerford, Doreen A.Kansas State University, ManhattanUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation AdministrationUnited States. Office of Aerospace MedicineUnited StatesAircraft pilotageAwarenessCivil aircraftPsychologyAlertnessAviationSafety and Human FactorsDOT/FAA/AM-02/398F80691This paper addresses situation awareness (SA) as it relates to surveillance activities in commercial air carriers. The concept of SA in aerospace operations and relevant literature are reviewed and critiqued. Four different approaches that are used to explain SA are examined, and the three major SA measurement techniques and their respective subcategories are described. Research that has explored these techniques is reviewed, and the shortcomings of the measures are discussed in terms of relevant psychology measurement criteria (e.g., validity). Several components of SA also are discussed because they appear to relate to surveillance activities. Research related to these components is reviewed, and a summary that focuses on the current state of SA research is provided, along with an evaluation about the future of SA research and applications.119