CRITICAL COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 1

Creative Assignment: Critical Cognitive Performance Indicators

Sonal Kalia

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

MSHF 653: Cognitive Systems Engineering

Dr. Clint Balog

November 28, 2022

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Creative Assignment: Critical Cognitive Performance Indicators

Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) play an indispensable role in aviation safety (Tajima,

2004). They are responsible for ensuring separation, providing guidance and any additional

services to individuals within their controlled airspace (Anderson et al., 2011). This highly

demanding job requires the operators to be skilled (knowledge, cognitive, communication) and be

constantly alert to maintain a high level of situational awareness (SA; Tshabalala & De Beer,

2014). Merwe et al. (2012) demonstrate that one of the most common reasons for ATC related

accidents involves the operator inability to take over the operations due to a reduced awareness

(e.g., SA). Furthermore, Eurocontrol (2007) reveals that upon further investigation, the feelings of

exhaustion or sleepiness (also known as fatigue) due to the monotony of the task often leads to the

lack of SA. Hence, this paper will discuss how specific cognitive performance indicators that can

be used to track and evaluate cognitive performance on critical tasks in the ATC.

FRMS

One way to track cognitive performance indicators is through fatigue risk management

systems (FRMS). Sprajcer et al. (2021) explain that the International Civil Aviation organization

(ICAO) defines FRMS as a data-driven driven method that observes an individual’s behavior to

determine which factors may be altered to minimize the risk of being fatigued. The goal of FRMS

is to ensure the individual has adequate level of alertness to perform their required duties (Gander

et al., 2011). For this paper, we will focus on two cognitive performance indicators and how they

may have a positive and/or negative impact on the ATCO’s ability to accomplish their tasks at

work.

Indicators

Diet
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The first indicator is diet as Gomez-Pinilla & Gomez (2011) states that there is direct

relationship between the food an individual consumes and the functioning of their brain. They

express that a healthy diet (e.g., omega-3 rich) elevates the brain-derived neurotrophic factor

(BDNF) level, a molecule important for daily brain functioning as it stimulates synaptic and

cognitive plasticity. Furthermore, a diet with more saturated fats and refined sugar leads to a

decrease in BDNF level and poorer cognitive performance. Their study on rats show that this type

of unhealthy diet significantly worsens spatial learning. Similarly, Rajaram et al. (2019) shows

that healthy diets (e.g., plant based) slower the rate of cognitive decline and tend to show better

scores on logically memory. Thus, observing the type of diet the ATCO has will be indicative of

the potential positive/negative effects it may have on their performance level.

Exercise

Unlike diet, the impact of exercise to the brain is direct and indirect. Mandolesi et al. (2018)

illustrates that moderate levels of excise increase cognitive performance (e.g., working memory,

flexibility). In addition to this, they also show that high levels of exercise increase the speed at

which the individual processes information. The researchers were able to find significant increases

of peripheral BDNF. Rajaram et al. (2019) elaborate further that releases endorphins and other

brain chemicals that give humans a better the sense of wellbeing. In other words, exercise improves

the individual’s mood and reduces anxiety or depression. Often these emotional problems, degrade

cognitive performance (e.g., decision making skills; Jung et al., 2014).

How is it measured?

To gain a better understanding of the application of this cognitive performance assessment,

we must take a specific example into consideration. One of my many jobs of an ATCO is to assist

MAY-DAY aircrafts. This means that the aircraft may be facing an emergency that requires
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immediate attention. Managing critical situations like these require ATCOs to be completely alert

and efficient. The first step of this cognitive performance assessment is to have the ATCOs self-

monitor their diet and exercise routine. One way of monitoring one’s diet may be by using a food

and fitness journal, as suggested by Burke et al. (2011). Next, the ATCOs fatigue level can be

gathered through the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS; Cano-Climent et al., 2017). For more

objective data, Guo et al. (2018) explain that fatigue deteriorates an individual’s reaction time and

accuracy. Subsequently, the Reaction Time Test is another useful way of assessing the ATCO’s

fatigue level (Human Benchmark, 2022). The next step requires ATCOs to gain awareness of the

research and the reasons behind the positive and negative impact of their lifestyle on their work.

Finally, the last step uses all these cognitive performance indications to alter the ATCO’s lifestyle

and reassess their level for fatigue to determine the FRMS’s effectiveness. In a time and life critical

task such as helping a MAY-DAY aircraft, this assessment will be crucial in ensuring the ATCO

is able to respond quickly and correctly (or appropriately). In the end, this would improve the

human-machine interaction and thus, the effectiveness of the system design.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper shows how the FRMS can help monitor indicators that may be

negatively influencing the ATCO’s well-being and cognitive performance at work. Moreover, this

process allows ATCOs to monitor, analyze and change their lifestyle based on these indicators.

The ATCOs will be able to see the differences these indicators make and how it has improved the

huma-machine interaction. Researchers can explore this topic further by discussing how this

FRMS may be beneficial across other domains in improving the system design.
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References

Anderson, D., Graham, I., & Williams, B. (2011). Flight and Motion: The History and Science of

Flying (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315704296

Burke, L. E., Wang, J., & Sevick, M. A. (2011). Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic

review of the literature. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 111(1), 92–102.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2010.10.008

Cano-Climent, A., Oliver-Roig, A., Cabrero-García, J., de Vries, J., & Richart-Martínez, M.

(2017). The Spanish version of the Fatigue Assessment Scale: reliability and validity

assessment in postpartum women. PeerJ, 5, e3832. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3832

Eurocontrol (2007). European organization for the safety of air navigation (Project

NCD-1-CD-FLOW). Eurocontrol Experimental Centre.

https://www.eurocontrol.int/sites/default/files/library/027_Highlighting_Interdependencie

s_between_Flow_Management_Regulations.pdf

Gander, P., Hartley, L., Powell, D., Cabon, P., Hitchcock, E., Mills, A., & Popkin, S. (2011).

Fatigue risk management: Organizational factors at the regulatory and industry/company

level. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 43(2), 573–590.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.11.007

Gomez-Pinilla, F., & Gomez, A. G. (2011). The influence of dietary factors in central nervous

system plasticity and injury recovery. PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and

rehabilitation, 3(6 Suppl 1), S111–S116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmrj.2011.03.001

Guo, Z., Chen, R., Liu, X., Zhao, G., Zheng, Y., Gong, M., & Zhang, J. (2018). The impairing

effects of mental fatigue on response inhibition: An ERP study. PloS one, 13(6).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0198206.t001
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Human Benchmark (2022). Reaction time test. https://humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime

Jung, N., Wranke, C., Hamburger, K., & Knauff, M. (2014). How emotions affect logical

reasoning: evidence from experiments with mood-manipulated participants, spider

phobics, and people with exam anxiety. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 570.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00570

Mandolesi, L., Polverino, A., Montuori, S., Foti, F., Ferraioli, G., Sorrentino, P., & Sorrentino,

G. (2018). Effects of physical exercise on cognitive functioning and wellbeing: biological

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https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00509

Merwe, K.V.D., Oprins, E., Eriksson, F., & van der Plaat, A. (2012). The influence of

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Rajaram, S., Jones, J., & Lee, G. J. (2019). Plant-Based Dietary Patterns, Plant Foods, and Age-

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https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz081

Sharma, A., Madaan, V., & Petty, F. D. (2006). Exercise for mental health. Primary care

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Sprajcer, M., Thomas, M. J., Sargent, C., Crowther, M. E., Boivin, D. B., Wong, I. S., ... &

Dawson, D. (2021). How effective are Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS)? A

review. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 165, 106398.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2021.106398
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Tajima, A. (2004). Fatal miscommunication: English in aviation safety. World Englishes, 23(3),

451-470. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0883-2919.2004.00368.x

Tshabalala, M., & De Beer, M. (2014). Occupational stress and coping resources in air traffic

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