title: Memory processes of flight situation awareness: interactive roles of working memory capacity, long-term working memory, and expertise.
abstract: This research examined the role of working memory (WM) capacity and long-term working memory (LT-WM) in flight situation awareness (SA). We developed spatial and verbal measures of WM capacity and LT-WM skill and then determined the ability of these measures to predict pilot performance on SA tasks. Although both spatial measures of WM capacity and LT-WM skills were important predictors of SA performance, their importance varied as a function of pilot expertise. Spatial WM capacity was most predictive of SA performance for novices, whereas spatial LT-WM skill based on configurations of control flight elements (attitude and power) was most predictive for experts. Furthermore, evidence for an interactive role of WM and LT-WM mechanisms was indicated. Actual or potential applications of this research include cognitive analysis of pilot expertise and aviation training.
authors.affiliation: Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. ysohn@yonsei.ac.kr
authors.forename: Young Woo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: Stephanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Doane
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D001359:Aviation; D001364:Awareness; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology