The Complexity of Signal Detection in Air Traffic Control Alert Situations

Air traffic controllers continually monitor the traffic situation in their sectors and take action when they detect potentially hazardous situations. Automation systems simultaneously and independently monitor the situation and provide alerts when the situation meets defined criteria. The decisions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 2008, Vol.52 (1), p.54-58
Main Authors: Allendoerfer, Kenneth R., Pai, Shantanu, Friedman-Berg, Ferne J.
Format: Review
Language:English
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Summary:Air traffic controllers continually monitor the traffic situation in their sectors and take action when they detect potentially hazardous situations. Automation systems simultaneously and independently monitor the situation and provide alerts when the situation meets defined criteria. The decisions made by the controllers and the automation systems may agree or disagree. Signal Detection Theory (SDT) provides a theoretical framework for understanding how controllers and automation systems make these decisions. However, traditional SDT provides an incomplete explanation of decision-making in the real-world ATC situations. In this paper, we examine instances where controllers take actions independently of the alert and where controllers take actions in response to an alert, but delay their actions until more information is available. Results from this study are applicable to other domains where operators are tasked to monitor situations while simultaneously monitoring the output of an alerting system.
ISSN:1541-9312
2169-5067
2169-5067
1071-1813
DOI:10.1177/154193120805200113