Citation

Hagemann T, Weber P. Hum. Factors Aerosp. Safety 2003; 3(3): 237-243.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Ashgate Publishing)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

A number of accidents in air traffic are caused by the neglect of clear signals or the failure of adequate reactions to these signals. In surveillance tasks such as air traffic control (ATC) critical incidents are always associated with a reduction of situational awareness or vigilance. Vigilance is defined more restrictively and describes the ability or readiness to detect and react to small changes in the environment that occur in unpredictable intervals. Anglo-American researchers have introduced the concept of situational awareness (SA) referring to a state of consciousness towards external (and internal) events. The term however is used in very distinct contexts, from simple signal detection to deeper understanding of complex relations. In the following different theories, studies and results will be described and discussed.