Aviation Psychology and Human Factors

A recent study found that attractive flight attendants are perceived as providing better service. EEG data suggested participants are more motivated to approach attractive attendants, influencing their perception of service quality.

A UK study using VR simulators to track pilots' eye movements found experienced pilots have fewer but longer fixations, indicating more structured visual scanning. This VR training shows promise in enhancing pilot skills and safety in the aviation industry.

A groundbreaking study on experienced fighter pilots challenges previous assumptions about the pull-down effect in military operations and highlights the potential for enhanced mission performance.

A study found pilots, regardless of experience, show outcome bias in decision-making, judging past decisions based on results rather than the decision process. This highlights the need for aviation training to address cognitive biases to improve safety.

A study on members of the Royal Netherlands Air Force found that 200 mg of modafinil and 300 mg of caffeine effectively counter the adverse effects of being awake for 17 hours on vigilance. The effect of modafinil seems to...

Understanding the effects of space travel will help us to plan long-haul space flights, but getting access to astronauts is not easy. A new study investigates whether F16 fighter pilots demonstrate brain connectivity changes that could be expected in astronauts,...

Have you ever seen or heard of someone doing a very difficult task and think “that doesn’t seem so hard, I bet I could do that too?” A study published in Royal Society Open Science tests how far this phenomenon...

Being emotionally intelligent may be important for a teacher, salesman, or therapist, but what about for a pilot? A study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports suggests that pilots are less likely to be emotionally intelligent compared to the average person.

New research published in the journal Military Psychology sheds light on how long-duration flight missions impact cognitive performance, subjective emotions, and physiological markers.

A Norwegian military aviation crew who participated in a mindfulness intervention demonstrated an increased sense of fellowship following the training. Crew members cited a host of interpersonal effects, such as greater unity, communication, and connection.

Flight attendants who were grounded at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic showed severe symptoms of depression and stress, according to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology. Those who were flying during this time showed severe symptoms of anxiety....

New research from the Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton sheds light on the black hole illusion, a dangerous phenomenon -- also known as the black hole effect or featureless terrain illusion -- that affects pilots attempting to land at night....

Excessive levels of stress have been shown to harm flight performance. But not experiencing heightened stress and arousal during demanding flight procedures might also be an indicator of poor performance, according to new research published in The International Journal of...

New research published in the journal Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors provides insight into how general aviation pilots assess and manage different types of risk. "I have a particular interest in aviation, partially because my father was a military...

Research published in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance suggests that U.S. Army aircrew regularly use caffeine to cope with the demands of the job, amidst a lack of knowledge of positive dietary habits. Caffeine is widely consumed across America, mostly...