THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT METHOD FOR PILOTS PROFESSIONAL RELIABILITY

Background: Previous research has shown that a pilot's professional re liability depends on two relative factors: the pilot's functional stat e and the demands of task workload. The Psychophysiological Reserve Ca pacity (PRC) is defined as a pilot's ability to accomplish additive ta sks without reducing the performance of the primary task (flight task) . Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the PRC was a mirror of the pilot's functional state. The purpose of this study was to probe the psychoph ysiological method for evaluating a pilot's professional reliability o n a simulator. Methods: The PRC Comprehensive Evaluating System (PRCCE S) which was used in the experiment included four subsystems: a) quant itative evaluation system for pilot's performance on simulator; b) sec ondary task display and quantitative estimating system; c) multi-physi ological data monitoring and statistical system; and d) comprehensive evaluation system for pilot PRC. Two studies were performed. In study one, 63 healthy and 13 hospitalized pilots participated. Each pilot pe rformed a double 180 degrees circuit flight program with and without s econdary task (three digit operation). The operator performance, score of secondary task and cost of physiological effort were measured and compared by PRCCES in the two conditions. Then, each pilot's flight sk ill in training was subjectively scored by instructor pilot ratings. I n study two, 7 healthy pilots volunteered to Lake part in the experime nt on the effects of steep deprivation on pilot's PRC. Each participan t had PRC tested pre- and post-8 h sleep deprivation. Results: The res ults show that the PRC values of a healthy pilot was positively correl ated with abilities of flexibility, operating and correcting deviation , attention distribution, and accuracy of instrument flight in the air (r = 0.27-0.40, p < 0.05), and negatively correlated with emotional a nxiety in flight (r = -0.40, p < 0.05). The Values of PRC in healthy p ilots (0.61 +/- 0.17) were significantly higher than that of hospitali zed pilots (0.43 +/- 0.15) (p < 0.05). The PRC value after 8 h sleep l oss (0.50 +/- 0.17) was significantly lower than those before sleep lo ss (0.70 +/- 0.15) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that a pilot's PRC, which was closely related to flight ability and functional state, could partly represent the pilot's professional reliability. It is wo rthwhile to further research using a pilot's PRC as a predictor of men tal workload in aircraft design.