Effects of Instructor and Evaluator Behaviors and Management Styles on Stress and Pilot Performance in the Aviation Training and Evaluation Environment
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether improved instructor/evaluator management styles and behaviors are being incorporated into the training and evaluation environment, in order to reduce non-flight related stress which can degrade pilot performance. A literature review was conducted to evaluate modern aircraft cockpit management principles and related models of occupational stress, to determine whether improved understanding in these areas have been incorporated into instructor/evaluator training. Factors that induce stress in a flight environment can be organized into three categories based on their source. The first category, consisting of operational stressors such as poor weather and mechanical malfunctions, is addressed with cockpit resource management training. The second category, consisting of occupational stressors where substandard performance can impact employment, is addressed with intervention to better match training with the demands of the job. A third category, in the training and evaluation environment, is the anxiety introduced by instructors and evaluators who are perceived as intimidating due to personality traits or records of below-normal grading.