Change of search time and non-search time in X-ray baggage screening due to training.
As found in studies of aircraft structural inspection, the time used for judging if a part of an aircraft shows tiny cracks is composed of search time, used for actively scanning, and non-search time, used for matching and decision while fixating a region of interest (Drury et al. 1997). These findings can be applied to detection of threats by X-ray screening of passenger bags at airports. To investigate whether search time and non-search time change when an experienced screener is given additional training in recognising threat objects in passenger bags, data from a European airport were analysed. A comparison of detection performance and reaction time between two large groups of screeners, one trained for 6 months, shows a large impact of training on overall performance and on both search and non-search components of the task. There was also a small but consistent decline in performance measures with screener age. This study shows a way to localise the effect of training on threat detection performance for aviation security screening. Analysis of the time needed for screening each passenger bag showed that training had a significant effect, particularly on the non-search part of the searching process (i.e. identification, recognition, decision, response execution, etc.).
Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14/22, Zurich 8050, Switzerland.
Saskia M
SM
Koller
Colin G
CG
Drury
Adrian
A
Schwaninger
D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000592:standards*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D017751:Safety Management; D013997:Time Factors; D014965:X-Rays