Written by Source: Kimberly Perkins PhD on LinkedIn
Airline pilot and human factors research scientist Dr Kimberly Perkins shares her latest work, “Enhancing Flight Deck Resilience and Optimizing Risk Mitigation: A Sociotechnical Approach,” published in Human Factors in Design, Engineering, and Computing as part of the AHFE 2024 International Conference proceedings.
This paper explores the flight deck as a sociotechnical system, emphasizing the critical role of socio-processing capacity—the cognitive, affective, communicative, and collaborative abilities pilots use to manage information, coordinate with their crew, and make informed decisions.
A key finding of the paper was that when the flight deck environment lacks psychological safety, pilots are more likely to self-silence, shifting away from open communication. This directly impacts the effectiveness of safety models like Threat and Error Management (TEM).
The research highlights how fostering psychological safety and enhancing interpersonal skills can strengthen collaboration, bolster resilience, and ultimately reduce risks in the flight deck.
Check out the full (open access) paper here: Enhancing Flight Deck Resilience and Optimizing Risk Mitigation: A Sociotechnical Approach