FEAST Attention and Multitasking Questions and Answers

Question 1

An air traffic controller is simultaneously monitoring a radar display for potential conflicts, listening for pilot readbacks on the radio, and mentally planning an approach sequence for several aircraft. This concurrent management of multiple, distinct information streams is a clear example of:

Accepted Answer

Divided attention

Answer

Divided attention is the cognitive ability to process two or more different demands or sources of information simultaneously. [9, 30] The scenario describes managing visual (radar), auditory (radio), and cognitive (planning) tasks at the same time, which is the definition of divided attention.

Question 2

The phenomenon where an air traffic controller becomes so focused on resolving a single complex problem that they fail to perceive other important, clearly visible information on their display, such as an alert for a different aircraft, is known as:

Accepted Answer

Attentional tunneling

Answer

Attentional tunneling, also known as cognitive tunneling, is a form of selective attention where an individual focuses so intently on one stimulus or task that they become functionally blind to other, equally or more important, stimuli. [6, 11, 14] This is a critical risk in high-stakes environments like air traffic control.

Question 3

Which of the following represents a primary 'cost' associated with frequent task-switching in a multitasking environment like air traffic control?

Accepted Answer

A momentary loss of efficiency and increased potential for error with each switch.

Answer

Research shows that every time a person switches between tasks, there is a 'task-switching cost' or 'cognitive switching penalty'. [4, 13, 19, 33] This cost manifests as a brief period of reduced performance, slower reaction time, and an increased likelihood of error as the brain disengages from one ruleset and engages with another. [4, 34]

Question 4

During a period of high traffic, a controller is intensely focused on vectoring an aircraft around a thunderstorm. An unexpected, non-conflicting aircraft with an unusual callsign appears on the screen, but the controller fails to notice it. This failure to see an unexpected but fully visible object is a classic example of:

Accepted Answer

Inattentional blindness

Answer

Inattentional blindness is a psychological phenomenon where an individual fails to notice an unexpected stimulus that is in plain sight, simply because their attention is engaged on another task or object. [3, 10, 15, 24] It's a failure of awareness, not of vision.

Question 5

An air traffic controller is actively managing a developing conflict between two aircraft on converging courses. At the same moment, a pilot on the frequency makes a non-urgent, routine request for a frequency change for a sector they will not enter for another 15 minutes. Which cognitive skill is most critical for the controller to apply immediately?

Accepted Answer

Task prioritization and selective attention

Answer

The controller must immediately prioritize the safety-critical task (the conflict) over the non-urgent routine request. This requires selective attention, the ability to direct focus to relevant stimuli while ignoring irrelevant ones, and effective task prioritization to manage cognitive workload. [23]

FEAST - Fighter Employment Aptitude Screening Test Practice Test

FEAST - Fighter Employment Aptitude Screening Test Practice Test

FEAST Attention and Multitasking Questions and Answers