Using Computerized Neuropsychological Testing to Assess Aviator Skills

Successful pilots must be cognitively and psychologically "fit' to preserve cockpit situational awareness while executing complex job demands in an unforgiving environment. The neuropsychological attributes of successful U.S. Air Force (USAF) aircrew, however, are largely unstudied. To conveniently collect a large sample of aviators data for comparison to mission performance, an easy-to-use and reliable test delivery system is required. The Neuropsychiatrically Enhanced Flight Screening (N-EFS) program is one product of an effort by Armstrong Laboratory's (AL) Neuropsychiatry Branch (AOCN). N-EFS measures the cognitive functioning (using the Multidimensional Aptitude Battery, MAB; and CogScreen) and psychological attributes and crew resource management potential (using the Personal Characteristics Inventory PCI; and the Revised NEO-Personality Inventory, NEO-PI-R) of all USAF pilot candidates. This data will establish a range of cognitive attributes of pilot applicants, and will provide MAB CogScreen baseline data for future reference. The N-EFS program also seeks to validate the MAB, CogScreen, NEO-PI-R. and PCI as future tools for pilot selection and understanding situational awareness. N-EFS builds on earlier AL/AOCN efforts to develop a field-friendly' self-administered, computerized psychometric testing battery to define attributes of successful pilots.