Human Performance and Limitations Flashcards

Circadian rhythm disruption in long-haul pilots primarily affects:

Answer: Alertness, performance, and decision-making quality

Crossing multiple time zones disrupts the body's internal clock, impairing alertness and cognitive performance particularly during the body's biological night window.

The 'startle effect' in aviation is characterized by:

Answer: An instinctive physical and emotional response to an unexpected event that can impair performance

The startle effect is an involuntary, instinctive response to an unexpected stimulus that causes a temporary degradation of motor skills and cognitive function.

Which stage of sleep is most critical for cognitive restoration and mental performance?

Answer: REM sleep

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is most critical for cognitive processing, memory consolidation, and emotional regulation that support pilot decision-making performance.

Hyperventilation symptoms can be confused with hypoxia because both can cause:

Answer: Tingling in extremities, lightheadedness, and impaired judgment

Both hyperventilation (too much CO2 exhaled) and hypoxia can produce tingling, lightheadedness, and impaired judgment, making differentiation difficult without proper awareness.

Automation bias in modern glass-cockpit aircraft refers to:

Answer: Over-reliance on automated systems leading to reduced situational awareness

Automation bias is the tendency to over-trust and over-rely on automated systems, leading pilots to accept incorrect automated outputs without adequate manual cross-checks.

The concept of 'threat and error management' (TEM) in aviation defines error as:

Answer: An action or inaction by the flight crew that leads or could lead to deviation from crew or organizational intentions

In TEM, errors are actions or inactions by crewmembers that deviate from organizational or crew intentions, regardless of outcome, and must be detected and managed.