Mental Imagery in Air Traffic Control

Mental imagery is known to play a significant role in the skilled performance of complex cognitive tasks, yet is mostly overlooked in the field of air traffic control—a task that is reliant on what controllers term “the picture.” This article explores 3 strands of imagery research: the similarities between imagery and perception, individual differences in imagery, and skill learning and imagery. The research reported is discussed in terms of fundamental implications for air traffic control, implications for the measurement of imagery, implications for training, and implications for technology design.

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