Objective Workload and Behavioural Response in Airport Radar Control Rooms

Previous research indicated that peak traffic and the duration of radio-communications were good predictors of behavioural response of air traffic controllers working in air route traffic control centres. In this study we investigated if these two measures of workload were generalisable to controllers (ATCs) working in radar facilities serving major airports. 3,110 observations were made on radar sectors at the 13 major radar control rooms in the U.S.A. A large number of air traffic variables and communication tasks were measured. Behavioural ratings were made by expert-observer ATC's. The results replicated previous findings that peak traffic and the duration of radio-communications functioned as behavioural stressors. Time monitoring and stand-by time also were found to predict behavioural responses. Careful consideration of these and other results led to the conclusion that peak traffic is the most generalisable environmental stressor for ATC's behaviour whereas the other workload measures are more correctly viewed as concomitants of the demand characteristics of ATC work.