Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between Emotional Intelligence, Stress and Coping Strategies in the occupation of air traffic control. The focus was to determine whether the Emotional Intelligence of an Air Traffic Controller might have an effect on the recognition and management of stressful situations, and influence the way they select coping strategies. Due to a lack of research on air traffic control in South Africa, focus are not only on the stress levels of Air Traffic Controllers, but also how their Emotional Intelligence could assist in the recognition and management of the stress they experience, and ultimately then contribute to select appropriate Coping Strategies. A literature study discussed the role of Air Traffic Controllers, and factors that contribute to them experiencing stress. The constructs of Stress, Emotional Intelligence and Coping were elaborated on in detail. The constructs were defined as follows: Stress, as any demand eliciting a negative emotional state, that exceeds an individual’s resources to cope; Emotional Intelligence, as the process of emotional information processing consisting of the dimensions of Self Awareness, Self Regulation, Motivation, Empathy and Social Skills (Rahim & Minors, 2003); and Coping as the efforts to manage environmental and internal demands and conflicts which tax or exceed a person’s resources (Lazarus & Launier, 1978).

Esse estudo teve o objetivo de verificar se a apresentação DICÓTICA (ou espacializada, sistema de áudio em 3D) de duas frases simultâneas facilitaria a compreensão da frase alvo em relação à apresentação diótica (não espacializada). Participaram dessa pesquisa controladores de tráfego aéreo (CsVoo), divididos em dois grupos de acordo com sua experiência profissional (novatos e experientes). Todos os participantes tinham o Português Brasileiro como língua-mãe, mas as duas frases apresentadas a eles pelo protocolo experimental (uma alvo, outra mascaradora) eram em inglês. A espacialização das mensagens beneficiou o reconhecimento da mensagem alvo pelos voluntários. Não houve diferenças significativas entre voluntários com diferentes níveis de conhecimento em inglês, experiência profissional ou sexo. / This study aimed to verify whether the dichotic or spatialized (3D audio system) presentation of two simultaneous sentences in English facilitate the identification of a target information comparing to dihotic (nonspatialized) presentation. The subjects in this study were air traffic controllers having as L1 (mother tongue) Brazilian Portuguese, and were divided into two groups (novice and experienced), according to their period of experience on the job. The spatialization of messages improved recognition of the target message by the volunteers. There were no significant differences between volunteers with different levels of knowledge in English, professional experience or gender.

Considering the need to improve the level of proficiency of air traffic controllers (ATCO) in the English language, in order to avoid incidents and accidents due to lack of proficiency, many language courses started offering English classes to those professionals. According to ICAO (2010), all ATCO must be approved in a specific proficiency exam, so that they can control international traffic. Nevertheless, the number of published textbooks in aviation English field is still low; therefore, choosing the most appropriate textbook becomes difficult due to the few options. The general objective of this paper is to contribute with researches in the field of textbook evaluation and Englisht learning and teaching. The specific objectives are: to set criteria in order to create a checklist to evaluate textbooks used in English language courses to air traffic controllers, based on criteria already found in the literature about textbook evaluation, adapting those criteria to what ICAO requirements and to the Proficiency Exam tasks; and to evaluate the book Aviation English using the checklist. The checklist criteria were created in the light of the Document 9835 (ICAO 2010), as well as in the light of the theories of language, Widdowson (1978), and others; the theory of English as a lingua franca of aviation, Oliveira E. (2007), Hülmbauer et al (2008), and others; the principles of language teaching and learning, Larsen-Freeman (2000), Brown (2007), and others; the tenets of English for Specific Purposes, Hutchinson and Waters (1987), Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998), and others; and the conception of materials development, Cunninsworth (1995), Tomlinson (1998; 2003), Mc Grath (2002), Dias (2007), and others. The checklist has as main categories the theoretical principles (language role and language teaching and learning), graphical features, lexical, grammatical and functional competences described in the Document 9835, support materials and English proficiency test preparation and it was subdivided into 117 items. The material evaluated by the means of the checklist fulfilled 71,8% of the checklist items in a positive way; on the other hand, 20,5% of the items were not identified in the material, and 7,7% of the items were partially identified in the textbook. Using the checklist to evaluate materials will enable professionals engaged in English teaching to air traffic controllers to choose the most appropriate textbook according to their audience, as well as to identify gaps in the book, in order to adapt the material, since there is no such thing as perfect material. / Considerando a necessidade de aumentar o nível de proficiência em língua inglesa de controladores de tráfego aéreo (ATCO), a fim de prevenir incidentes e acidentes, cujas causas também estejam relacionadas à falta de proficiência na língua, vários cursos de idiomas começaram a oferecer aulas de inglês para esses profissionais. Segundo OACI (2010), os ATCO devem ser aprovados em exame de proficiência específico, para operarem em órgãos que controlam o tráfego aéreo internacional. No entanto, o número de livros didáticos (LD) de inglês aeronáutico continua modesto e, com isso, a escolha do mais adequado torna-se difícil, devido às poucas opções. O objetivo geral deste trabalho é contribuir com pesquisas na área de avaliação de material didático e de ensino-aprendizagem de inglês. Os objetivos específicos são: estabelecer critérios para a elaboração de uma checklist para avaliação de livro didático utilizado na formação de língua inglesa de ATCO, a partir de critérios existentes na literatura sobre avaliação de LD, adequando-os aos requisitos estabelecidos pela OACI (Organização de Aviação Civil Internacional) e às atividades aplicadas no Exame de Proficiência a que são submetidos os controladores de tráfego aéreo no Brasil; e aplicar a checklist elaborada na avaliação do livro didático Aviation English. A Checklist ATCO será elaborada à luz do Documento 9835, de OACI (2010); das teorias de linguagem Widdowson (1978) e outros; da língua inglesa como língua franca da aviação, de Oliveira E. (2007), Hülmbauer et al (2008) e outros; dos princípios de ensino-aprendizagem de línguas, de Larsen-Freeman (2000), Brown (2007) e outros; do ensino de inglês para propósito específico, de Hutchinson e Waters (1987), Dudley-Evans e St. John (1998) e outros; e de avaliação de livro didático, de Cunningsworth (1995), Tomlinson (1998; 2003), Mc Grath (2002), Dias (2007) e outros. A checklist tem como principais indicadores os princípios norteadores (linguagem e princípios de ensino-aprendizagem), os aspectos gráficos, as competências lexicais, gramaticais e funcionais descritas no Documento 9835, os materiais de apoio e a familiarização com as atividades aplicadas no exame de proficiência aplicado no Brasil, totalizando 117 itens. A partir da aplicação da Checklist ATCO na avaliação do material, foi possível verificar que 71,8% dos itens estão presentes no livro avaliado; 20,5% não estão presentes no material; e 7,7% estão parcialmente presentes. A avaliação de LD utilizando a checklist proposta facilita a identificação de lacunas e fornece informações ao professor que avalia, a fim de que ele planeje as adaptações de atividades, já que o material perfeito será difícil de encontrar.

The aim of this study was to investigate how air traffic controllers cope with stress and also to determine whether there were statistically significant differences in the coping behaviour of air traffic control staff from different groups. The study was conducted on a sample of Air Traffic Controllers who control civilian aircraft in the South African airspace. The coping resources inventory (CRI) assessment was used to collect data and analysed to determine how controllers cope with stress and whether there are differences in the coping behaviour of air traffic control staff from different groups. The results showed that air traffic controllers use emotional coping resources to cope with stressful work situations and make less use of cognitive coping resources. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the coping behaviour of air traffic control staff from different groups. / Industrial and organisational psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The aim of this study was to investigate how air traffic controllers cope with stress and also to determine whether there were statistically significant differences in the coping behaviour of air traffic control staff from different groups. The study was conducted on a sample of Air Traffic Controllers who control civilian aircraft in the South African airspace. The coping resources inventory (CRI) assessment was used to collect data and analysed to determine how controllers cope with stress and whether there are differences in the coping behaviour of air traffic control staff from different groups. The results showed that air traffic controllers use emotional coping resources to cope with stressful work situations and make less use of cognitive coping resources. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the coping behaviour of air traffic control staff from different groups. / Industrial and organisational psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Air traffic controllers (ATCos) monitor flight operations and resolve predicted aircraft conflicts to ensure safe flights, making them one of the essential human operators in air traffic control systems. Researchers have been studying ATCos with human subjective approaches to understand their tasks and air traffic managing processes. As a result, models were developed to predict ATCo actions. However, there is a gap between our knowledge and the real-world. The developed models have never been validated against the real-world, which creates uncertainties in our understanding of how ATCos detect and resolve predicted aircraft conflicts. Moreover, we do not know how information from air traffic control systems affects their actions. This Ph.D. dissertation work introduces methods to evaluate existing ATCo action prediction models. It develops a prediction model based on flight contextual information (information describing flight operations) to explain the relationship between ATCo actions and information. Unlike conventional approaches, this work takes data-driven approaches that collect large-scale flight tracking data. From the collected real-world data, ATCo actions and corresponding predicted aircraft conflicts were identified by developed algorithms. Comparison methods were developed to measure both qualitative and quantitative differences between solutions from the existing prediction models and ATCo actions on the same aircraft conflicts. The collected data is further utilized to develop an ATCo action prediction model. A hierarchical structure found from analyzing the collected ATCo actions was applied to build a structure for the model. The flight contextual information generated from the collected data was used to predict the actions. Results from this work found that the collected ATCo actions do not show any preferences on the methods to resolve aircraft conflicts. Results found that the evaluated existing prediction model does not reflect the real-world. Also, a large portion of the real conflicts was to be solved by the model both physically and operationally. Lastly, the developed prediction model showed a clear relationship between ATCo actions and applied flight contextual information. These results suggest the following takeaways. First, human actions can be identified from closed-loop data. It could be an alternative approach to collect human subjective data. Second, the importance of evaluating models before implications. Third, potentials to utilize the flight contextual information to conduct high-end prediction models.

This program of research was aimed at investigating a novel application of computer aided text analysis (CATA). To date, CATA has been used in a wide variety of disciplines, including Psychology, but never in the area of personnel selection. Traditional personnel selection techniques have met with limited success in the prediction of costly training failures for some occupational groups such as pilot and air traffic controller. Accordingly, the overall purpose of this thesis was to assess the validity of linguistic style to select personnel. Several studies were used to examine the structure of language in a personnel selection setting; the relationship between linguistic style and the individual differences dimensions of ability, personality and vocational interests; the validity of linguistic style as a personnel selection tool and the differences in linguistic style across occupational groups. The participants for the studies contained in this thesis consisted of a group of 810 Royal Australian Air Force Pilot, Air Traffic Control and Air Defence Officer trainees. The results partially supported two of the eight hypotheses; the other six hypotheses were supported. The structure of the linguistic style measure was found to be different in this study compared with the structure found in previous research. Linguistic style was found to be unrelated to ability or vocational interests, although some overlap was found between linguistic style and the measure of personality. In terms of personnel selection validity, linguistic style was found to relate to the outcome of training for the occupations of Pilot, Air Traffic Control and Air Defence Officer. Linguistic style also demonstrated incremental validity beyond traditional ability and selection interview measures. The findings are discussed in light of the Five Factor Theory of Personality, and motivational theory and a modified spreading activation network model of semantic memory and knowledge. A general conclusion is drawn that the analysis of linguistic style is a promising new tool in the area of personnel selection.