Mitigating Complexity in Air Traffic Control: The Role of Structure-Based Abstractions

Cognitive complexity is a limiting factor on the capacity and efficiency of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. A multi-faceted cognitive ethnography approach shows that structure, defined as the physical and informational elements that organize and arrange the ATC environment, plays an importa...

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Main Authors: Hansman, R. John, Histon, Jonathan M.
Format: Technical Report
Language:en_US
Published: 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42006
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author Hansman, R. John
Histon, Jonathan M.
author_facet Hansman, R. John
Histon, Jonathan M.
author_sort Hansman, R. John
collection MIT
description Cognitive complexity is a limiting factor on the capacity and efficiency of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. A multi-faceted cognitive ethnography approach shows that structure, defined as the physical and informational elements that organize and arrange the ATC environment, plays an important role in helping controllers mitigate cognitive complexity. Key influences of structure in the operational environment and on controller cognitive processes are incorporated into a cognitive process model. Controllers are hypothesized to internalize the structural influences in the form of abstractions simplifying their working mental model of the situation. By simplifying their working mental model, these structure-based abstractions reduce cognitive complexity.
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spelling mit-1721.1/420062019-04-10T22:36:43Z Mitigating Complexity in Air Traffic Control: The Role of Structure-Based Abstractions Hansman, R. John Histon, Jonathan M. Training Structure-based Abstraction Structure Cognitive Complexity Air Traffic Control Cognitive complexity is a limiting factor on the capacity and efficiency of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. A multi-faceted cognitive ethnography approach shows that structure, defined as the physical and informational elements that organize and arrange the ATC environment, plays an important role in helping controllers mitigate cognitive complexity. Key influences of structure in the operational environment and on controller cognitive processes are incorporated into a cognitive process model. Controllers are hypothesized to internalize the structural influences in the form of abstractions simplifying their working mental model of the situation. By simplifying their working mental model, these structure-based abstractions reduce cognitive complexity. FAA grants 96-C-001 and # 06-G-006. 2008-08-29T18:43:58Z 2008-08-29T18:43:58Z 2008-08 Technical Report http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42006 en_US ICAT-2008-05; application/pdf
spellingShingle Training
Structure-based Abstraction
Structure
Cognitive Complexity
Air Traffic Control
Hansman, R. John
Histon, Jonathan M.
Mitigating Complexity in Air Traffic Control: The Role of Structure-Based Abstractions
title Mitigating Complexity in Air Traffic Control: The Role of Structure-Based Abstractions
title_full Mitigating Complexity in Air Traffic Control: The Role of Structure-Based Abstractions
title_fullStr Mitigating Complexity in Air Traffic Control: The Role of Structure-Based Abstractions
title_full_unstemmed Mitigating Complexity in Air Traffic Control: The Role of Structure-Based Abstractions
title_short Mitigating Complexity in Air Traffic Control: The Role of Structure-Based Abstractions
title_sort mitigating complexity in air traffic control the role of structure based abstractions
topic Training
Structure-based Abstraction
Structure
Cognitive Complexity
Air Traffic Control
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42006
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