Cockpit Task Management Bibliography

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Gopher, D., Weil, M., and Bareket, T. (1994)

TITLE: Transfer of Skill from a Computer Game Trainer to Flight
PUBLISHER: Human Factors, 1994, 36(3), 387-405.
KEYWORDS: simulator, game, EOT, FT, attentional control, Hawthorn, VP
SUMMARY: Trained cadet Israeli Air Force pilots using the Space Fortress computer game.   This training resulted in the experimental group performing better in actual flight than the control group that were not trained using the game.  Additionally, there were two different approaches to training for the game. Full Training, FT and Emphasis Only Training (EOT).  Although the FT subjects performed better in the game, they performed the same in flight tests, suggesting that FT techniques train simulator-specific skills while EOT trains more general attentional control skills.  There is lots of verbiage here on why they think CTM is really attentional control capabilities of pilots.

 SIGNIFICANT CONCEPTS/EXCERPTS:

Introduction provides a good argument for CTM as attentional control. 

Their thesis: Using a game (simulator) directed to improve attentional management skills would enhance the actual flying skills of pilots.  This is a combination of 3 separate claims:

  1. Attentional control is an important element in the acquisition of flight skills
  2. Attentional control is a skill that can be trained
  3. The characteristics of the game (simulator) is relevant to the training of these skills (any old computer game won't do it, check out Hart and Basttiste, 1992).

Two approaches to training in the game:

  1. Full Training (FT) or hierarchical part-training - game is broken down into sub games, and pilot learns the subgames before trying the whole game. Results in better performance in the game, but not actual flight tasks.
  2. Emphasis Only Training (EOT) or Variable Priority (from Kramer) - Introduce the whole game at once, but vary the priority of the tasks during training. Results in poorer game performance, but better flying skills.  (Maybe this is the way to train attentional control?)

Made a lot of effort to avoid the Hawthorn effect. Cover story (pg. 394), and talked lots about it in the discussion section.

Evidence that EOT is better (pg 401), because it develops skill components that can be transferred and generalized to flight better than FT.

A bit of discussion of fidelity.  Says that physical fidelity may not be that important for developing such skills at attentional control.

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