ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes research findings on stress as it relates to human performance. The J. E. Driskell and E. Salas model provides a conceptualization of the stress/performance relationship, which may be used as an initial base for explaining that relationship in the cockpit. There is a need to develop a theoretical model of stress effects on Aeronautical Decision Making to guide training research. Most of the changes have reduced stressors that were found in the cockpit or the task, but, with progress, other stressors have been added. Stress may have a critical impact on the way a crew assesses decision information, the way they make a decision, and the way they carry that decision through to completion. Stressor effects that are especially relevant to decision making are cue restriction and narrowing of the perceptual field, decreased search behaviour, decreased vigilance, degraded problem solving and performance rigidity.
