IMPACT OF AUTOMATION ON AIRCREW COMMUNICATION AND DECISION-MAKING PERFORMANCE

Increasing levels of automation are being introduced into the cockpit. Yet, it is difficult to predict the impact of these automatic systems on other elements of flight, such as crew communication and the abili ty to arrive at an effective decision. This study attempted to clarify the relation among these variables. Forty-eight pilots were assigned to two-person crews and asked to fly a simulated mission in either aut omated or manual conditions using a low-fidelity simulator. The scenar io was designed to require crewmembers to arrive at a collective decis ion based on information obtained about an evolving simulated disaster . The results indicated that the introduction of automation was not as sociated with better performance. However, several significant differe nces were observed in the communications of crews flying in the automa ted versus manual conditions. The results are discussed in terms of th eir implications for communications training for advanced technology a ircraft.