Chapter 11 - Cognitive architectures for human factors in aviation and aerospace

Abstract

Cognition is a key human factor to be considered when studying, developing, and improving on aviation and aerospace operations. People serve many important roles in aviation and aerospace, and their participation is necessary for successful operations. Improving understanding of the minds of the people in those sociotechnical systems is on the critical path to increasing system performance. Cognitive architectures are computational theories of the human mind, intending to help researchers and practitioners understand human cognition in general. These architectures are employed with aspirations, in some cases, to practical utility in applied and real-world contexts such as aviation and aerospace. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce cognitive architectures by providing a foundation of knowledge and resources for anyone who is interested in learning about cognitive architectures and applying these approaches to their research. The chapter is divided into four sections: The first section defines cognitive architectures, the second section identifies key resources within the cognitive architecture literature, the third section discusses work conducted at the Air Force Research Laboratory to improve cognitive architectures, and the fourth section summarizes limitations within cognitive architectures and future directions.