Social Psychology And Flight Deck Management

Question 1

10.50.2 Explain how outside resources, such as ATC, engineers and other pilots can contribute to a pilot’s management of a flight

Answer 1

These resources can aid in a pilots situational awareness, they can also provide the pilot with a large amount of information to aid them in making a decision

Question 2

34.50.2/46.50.2 Broad characteristics of personality and distinguish individual differences (openness, conscientiousness, extroverts, agreeableness, neuroticism )

Answer 2

Openness - People who like to learn new things and enjoy new experiences usually score high in openness. Openness includes traits like being insightful and imaginative and having a wide variety of interests.

•Conscientiousness - People that have a high degree of conscientiousness are reliable and prompt. Traits include being organized, methodic, and thorough.

Extraverts - get their energy from interacting with others, while introverts get their energy from within themselves.
•Extraversion includes the traits of energetic, sociable, impulsive, talkative, and assertive.

•Agreeableness - These individuals are friendly, cooperative, and compassionate. People with low agreeableness may be more distant. Traits include being kind, affectionate, and sympathetic.

Neuroticism (Neuroticism Emotional Stability)
•This dimension relates to one’s emotional stability and degree of negative emotions. People that score high on neuroticism often experience emotional instability and negative emotions. Traits include being moody and tense.

Question 3

34.50.4 Cognitive dissonance what is it and what can it do to you?

Answer 3

The state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change

•Delays our reaction time, reduces our motor skills and decreases our ability to interpret what we’re seeing and hearing.

Question 4

34.50.6 The concept of crew resource management

Answer 4

The process of managing and utilising all the people, equipment and information available on the flight deck.

•Its principle is no different to resource management in any other work environment

Question 5

34.50.8/46.50.4 Methods of maximising CRM

Answer 5

Accident investigation and various training programmes

•LOFT (line orientated flight training) – is designed to recognise the kind of situation in which human error can occur by role playing and debriefing. This also serves to highlight effective and ineffective use of material resources, and to teach the proper allocation of duties and responsibilities among the crew

Question 6

34.50.10 Teamwork and team membership

Answer 6

Teamwork - combined action of a group, especially when effective

Team member - contributing positively to a group or team to achieve a common goal

Question 7

34.50.12/46.50.6 Factors that affect team performance

Answer 7

Quality of the team depends on the quality of the team members, but powers of persuasion exert strong influences and opinions tend to be weighted according to the status of the person offering them

•Good communication, having every one involved and keeping the common goal in mind will increase the teams performance

Question 8

34.50.14/46.50.8 How effective teams or team working can reduce errors

Answer 8

Checking and monitoring other team members actions, and providing different opinions when it comes to decision making to ensure the best outcome is found

Question 9

34.50.16 Describe group decision making

Answer 9

The team leader should solicit ideas and suggestions before suggesting their own, this helps prevent fear of conflict with the leader , when a decision is made , the reasoning should be explained so that nobody feels they have been left out

•The team members should be factual and not be afraid to air uncertainties, however when a decision has been reached, accept it and do your part to implement it

Question 10

34.50.18/46.50.10 Advantages and disadvantages of group decision making

Answer 10

• Advantages – More information is available, wider choice of options is possible, and the commitment of individuals to the solution often makes the implementation stage easier and more effective
• Disadvantages – Teams often move to solution centred discussion before the problem is properly analysed. Differences of opinion can escalate conflict, time can be poorly managed and 1 or 2 individuals may dominate the process

Question 11

34.50.20/46.50.12 The concepts of (a) risk shift, (b) conformity and (c) compliance

Answer 11

Risk Shift - When people are in groups, they make decision about risk differently from when they are alone. In the group, they are likely to make riskier decisions, as the shared risk makes the individual risk less

• Conformity - the tendency to align your attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours with those around you. It’s a powerful force that can take the form of overt social pressure or subtler unconscious influence
• Compliance - responding favourably to a request offered by others

Question 12

34.50.22/46.50.14 Personality traits and their effect on group decision making

Answer 12

Introversion - Introverts are drained by social encounters and energized by solitary, often creative pursuits. Their disposition is frequently misconstrued as shyness, social phobia or even avoidant personality disorder, but many introverts socialize easily; they just strongly prefer not to.

•Extraversion - is “the act, state, or habit of being predominantly concerned with obtaining gratification from what is outside the self”. Extraverts tend to enjoy human interactions and to be enthusiastic, talkative, assertive, and gregarious.

Anxiety - a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. Researchers found that people who are prone to high anxiety have a more difficult time reading the environmental cues that could help them avoid a bad outcome. The more anxious people have greater trouble deciding how best to handle life’s uncertainties, in general.

Question 13

34.50.24/46.50.16 Differentiate between goal/task directed and relationship directed styles of behaviour

Answer 13

Task directed leaders focus on the task that need to be performed in order to meet certain goals

•Relationship directed leaders focus on the satisfaction, motivation, and general well-being of the team members

Question 14

34.50.26/46.50.18 Autocratic and democratic leadership styles

Answer 14

Autocratic is characterised by individual control over all decisions with little input from group members

•Democratic is a type of leadership where members take a more participative role in the decision making process. Members are encouraged to share ideas and opinions, even though the leader retains the final say over decisions

Question 15

34.50.28/46.50.20 Ideal leadership qualities

Answer 15

• Leads by example
• Establishes task, team and individual needs
• Advises intent before acting
• Delegates tasks and other duties
• Evaluates progress
• Responds to staff progress
• Sets and maintains priorities
• Has high technical competence
• Involves staff in decision making
• Praises good performance

Question 16

34.50.30/46.50.22 Problems that can arise from (a) status/seniority differences (b) lack of assertiveness (c) cultural differences

Answer 16

The senior person may seem intimidating and the junior person may be unwilling to speak up.

(b) lack of assertiveness
•If a junior cannot assert them self when the senior person is potentially doing something wrong they may just sit back and let it happen – afraid to speak up.

(C) cultural differences
Different beliefs can lead to differing opinions and thought processes

Question 17

34.50.32/46.50.24 The concept of authority gradient

Answer 17

The manner in which the captain exerts authority on the operation, greatly influences the flow and coherency of cockpit communication. It should neither be over bearing, dictatorial approach, nor one in which his/her command authority is undermined

Question 18

34. 50.34/46.50.26 The advantages and disadvantages of varying cockpit authority gradients and
35. 50.36/46.50.28 Problems that can arise from an authority gradient that is too steep or too shallow

Answer 18

A steep gradient can be produced when an over-bearing captain is paired with an inexperienced first officer. Eastern cultures tend to have a steeper authority gradient in the cockpit than western cultures (the captains word is taken as gospel)

An inverse steep gradient is formed when the captain allows the command function to be obscured, especially when the other crew might be more experienced than he/she (eg. a captain with 4000 hours on a Beech 1900 moving onto an ATR as a first officer with a 3000 hour captain)

•A flat gradient is produced when a crew with equal experience and proficiency are paired together – if one commits an error the other may be reluctant to speak up not wishing to cause offence

Question 19

34.50.38/46.50.30 Cultural aspects of authority gradients

Answer 19

In some cultures you are obliged to be deferential toward your elders and superiors in a way that would be unimaginable in the west.

•That’s dangerous when it comes to modern airplanes because such sophisticated machines are designed to be piloted by a crew that works together as a team of equals, remaining unafraid to point out mistakes or disagree with a captain

Question 20

34.50.42/46.50.32 The influence of the following on the effectiveness of cockpit communications: (a) skills of enquiry, advocacy and assertion

Answer 20

Enquiry – the means which we gather information, sources include our own senses, outside contributors and from asking questions. The point of enquiry is to understand the position of the other person.

• Advocacy – Puts you in a position of standing for, or advocating a particular action, position or set of principles. Trying to argue or persuade for the position you are advocating.
• Assertion – asserting your opinion on a decision

Question 21

34.50.42/46.50.32 The influence of the following on the effectiveness of cockpit communications: (b) listening

Answer 21

Hearing and listening are not the same thing. Hearing is the act of perceiving sound. It is involuntary and simply refers to the aural stimuli. Listening is a selective activity which involves the reception and the interpretation of aural stimuli. It involves decoding the sound into meaning.

Question 22

34.50.42/46.50.32 The influence of the following on the effectiveness of cockpit communications: (c) conflict resolution

Answer 22

Conflicts may arise because of inappropriate behaviour by a member of the group and may be inter-personal or intra-personal. Conflicts need to be depersonalised i.e look at what is right not who is right.

Question 23

34.50.42/46.50.32 The influence of the following on the effectiveness of cockpit communications: (d) critique/feedback

Answer 23

Develop the ability to receive and provide constructive criticism. Positive feedback from colleagues helps improve skills such as communication and problem solving

Question 24

34.50.44/46.50.34 The barriers to effective communication

Answer 24

Semantic (over complicated message)
•Unclarified assumptions – taking for granted the knowledge of basic things
•Technical Jargon
•Body language and gesture decoding
•Psychological or emotional barriers

Question 25

34.50.46/46.50.36 Techniques to reduce communication barriers

Answer 25

Using a supportive communication style combines low dominance and high sociability.

•Being assertive is being forceful enough to communicate your needs to others but still respecting what others have to say.

Question 26

34.50.48/46.50.38 The following strategies used to reduce communication errors in aviation

Readbacks
Standard phraseology
Standard calls
Cross-checks
Documentation verification checks
Display and control setting checks
Sterile cockpit procedures

Answer 26

(a) read backs Acknowledging and confirming understanding of a clearance

• (b) standard phraseology Ensures all listeners understand what is being communicated
• (c) standard calls Removes any ambiguities between pilots

(d) cross-checks is a vital element of a pilots duties, particularly in a multi crew situation where the pilot monitoring has responsibility for monitoring the actions and awareness of aircraft control of the pilot flying

• (e) documentation verification checks ensures the correct most up to date material is being used
• (f) display and control setting checks Confirmed using checklists and announcing mode selections to keep the whole crew in the loop
• (g) sterile cockpit procedures The only discussions going on during a sterile cockpit is about the task this ensures during critical phases of flight that the crew is focussed on the task at hand.
• Air NZ SOP states that the cockpit should be sterile from off blocks to 10,000 feet, within 1000 feet of a level off or transition, approaching/commencing descent and below 10,000ft until on blocks.

Question 27

46.50.40 Signs that information transfer has been successful

Answer 27

Feedback!
•Verbal: Restating the sender’s feelings or ideas in your own words
•Non-Verbal (Body Language): Nodding head, eye movement.

Question 28

46.50.42 Differences between upward, downward and horizontal communication in the workplace with examples

Answer 28

Information moves:
•Upward: employees to management e.g. Safety concerns, reports, work requests
•Downward: management to employees e.g. Operations manuals, SOPs, bulletins, memos, rosters
•Horizontal: shared between peers e.g. Facilitates problem solving, task coordination between departments and project teams

Question 29

34.50.50/46.50.44 Means of managing effective communications between flight crew cabin crew, passengers, ATC services, maintenance personal, company personal

Answer 29

(a) cabin crew Must work together, so ensure eye contact and positive body language. Remember they make your coffee!

• (b) passengers Passengers should be kept in the loop either by P.A or via the cabin crew
• (c) ATC Services Involves the exchange of safety critical information, so use standard phraseology and a good listening watch

(d) maintenance personal They keep you flying so treat them with respect, and ensure positive communication to convey any issues

•(e) company personal Everybody plays a key role in keeping the company flying, treat all staff as equals and keep it positive and friendly