Workload Related Changes In Eye, Cardiac, Respiratory and Brain Activity During Simulated Air Traffic Control.

Abstract : In this investigation, eight Air Force air traffic controllers (ATCs) performed three scenarios on TRACON, a computer-based ATC simulation. Two scenarios, each with three levels of difficulty, varied either traffic volume by manipulating the number of aircraft to be handled or varied traffic complexity by manipulating arriving to departing flight ratios, pilot skill and the mixture of aircraft types. The third scenario, referred to as the overload condition, required that controllers handle an extremely high traffic volume in a very limited amount of time. The effects of the manipulations on controller workload were assessed using performance-based, subjective (TLX), and physiological (heart, eye, respiration and EEG) measures. Significant main effects of difficulty were found for TRACON performance, TLX ratings, eye blink rates, respiration rates and EEG measures. Only the EEG data were associated with main effects of traffic pattern. The results provide support for the differential sensitivity of a variety of workload measures in complex tasks, underscore the importance of traffic complexity in ATC workload, and support the utility of TRACON as a tool for studies of ATC workload.