The Influence of the Socionic Characteristics of a Pilot on the Features of Perception and Interpretation of Displayed Flight Instrument Information

Abstract

The article continues a series of papers by the authors of the results of the study on perception and interpretation by a pilot of visual information provided by flight instruments. The data presented refer to experiments conducted in 2021–2022 with a sample of 50 cadet pilots. According to V. A. Sychev, the wellknown aviation professor, in the piloting technique, perceptual errors are most common. Among many flight instruments important for piloting an aircraft, there is one whose influence on the «Loss of control in-flight» (LOC–I) problem is the greatest – this is the attitude indicator. Several catastrophes are associated with perceptual errors of the readings of attitude indicators. One of the most tragic accidents of this kind was the crash near Perm on September 14, 2008, of a Boeing‑737 aircraft.The paper presents the results of a comparative study carried out to identify individual differences in perception and interpretation by tested cadet pilots of the roll indications on the attitude indicator with the «inside-out» and «outside-in» display options. During task performance, the participants were presented with a sequential series of images in the form of slides with roll indications of the attitude indicator with different display options. The experiment was carried out using a stationary Eye Tracker Tobii REX device. The analysis and processing of the data obtained was carried out using a special computer software developed by A. P. Plyasovskikh at the All-Russian scientific Research Institute of Radio Equipment. The participants to the experiment underwent also psychodiagnostics using Keirsey and MM‑1 socionic tests. Results were subject to mathematical processing with correlation analysis and G-sign test.The arguments given by some authors in favour of the «outside-in» version of the indication were fully confirmed since the number of errors when determining the side of the roll on the «inside-out» display of the attitude indicator turned out to be seven times higher than on the «outside-in» display. The hypothesis that socionic characteristics are predictors of the pilot’s correct perception and interpretation of visual instrumental information has not been confirmed. It is possible that the absence of significant correlations was also influenced by the significant uniformity in the socionic characteristics of the surveyed persons.