A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF CAUSAL-MODELS OF MALE AND FEMALE ACQUISITION OF PILOT SKILLS

Based on a previous study, a causal model of acquisition of pilot job knowledge and flying skills was tested on separate samples of male and female students. Causal model parameters were estimated separately fo r each sample and, due to the small sample size for women, no between- groups statistical tests were conducted. The results are viewed as ten tative because of the small sample of female students; however, the pa th coefficient parameter estimates are still useful. The model showed a direct influence of general cognitive ability (g) on the acquisition of job knowledge and an indirect influence on the acquisition of flyi ng skills. The direct and indirect influence of cognitive ability on f lying skills was a little stronger for women than for men. Additionall y, the path between prior job knowledge (JK(p)) and flying performance was somewhat stronger for women than for men. Consistent with previou s findings, the influence of early flying skills on later flying skill s was very strong. No argument for a sex-separated training syllabus i s supported.