<p></p><p>A large body of literature suggests that
cognitive abilities are important determinants for training and job
performance, including flight performance. The associations between measures of
ability tests and job performance have been the focus of many empirical
studies, resulting in an overall conclusion that general mental ability, <i>g</i>,
is the main source of prediction, while other narrower abilities have limited
power for predicting job performance. Despite the attention given to cognitive
ability-flight performance relationships, their associations have not been
fully understood at the broad construct level, and most extant literature
focused on the relations at the observed scores level. Thus, the present dissertation
study was designed to contribute to the progression of this understanding by
examining the relations between cognitive abilities and flight training performance,
using data from four U.S. Air Force (USAF) pilot samples. For comparison, one
navigator and one air battle manager sample were also analyzed. The data were
obtained from correlation matrices of prior investigations and analyzed via
structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures. </p>
<p> Four
studies are reported in the thesis: (1) preliminary study, (2) primary
validation study, (3) cross-validation study, and (4) cross-occupation
validation study. The preliminary study assessed the test battery used in the
subsequent predictive studies. The primary validation study introduced a bifactor
predictive SEM model for testing the influence of cognitive abilities in
predicting pilot performance. The cross-validation study assessed the
consistency of the predictive model suggested in the primary validation study,
using three additional pilots’ samples. The cross-occupation validation study
compared the predictive model using data from three aviation-related
occupations (flying, navigation, air battle management). Ability factors were
extracted from scores of pilot applicants on the Air Force Officer Qualifying
Test (AFOQT), the USAF officers’ primary selection test battery, whereas the
flight performance scores were obtained from pilot records during the flight
training program.</p>
<p> In
addition to the <i>g</i> factor, <i>verbal ability, quantitative ability, spatial
ability, perceptual speed ability, and aviation-related acquired knowledge </i>are
the six latent cognitive ability factors investigated in the reported studies.
Pilot performance measures were modeled either as observed or latent variables
covering ratings of academic and hands-on flying performance in different
phases of the training program. The studies of this thesis established that (1)
general ability contributes substantially to the prediction models; however, it
is not the only important predictor, (2) aviation-related acquired knowledge is
the most robust predictor of pilot performance among the abilities examined,
with a role even exceeding that of <i>g</i>, (3) perceptual speed predicted pilot performance uniquely in
several occasions, while verbal, spatial, and quantitative abilities
demonstrated trivial incremental validity for hands-on pilot performance beyond
that provided by the <i>g</i> measure, and (4) the relative importance of cognitive
abilities tends to vary across aviation occupations.</p><br><p></p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/12733286 |
| Date | 31 July 2020 |
| Creators | Khalid S. Almamari (5930516) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Predictive_Relations_Between_Cognitive_Abilities_and_Pilot_Performance_A_Structural_Equation_Modeling_Approach/12733286 |
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