ABSTRACT
Within the model discussed in Chapter 1, stress, or the extent to which things are perceived to be 'coming apart at the seams', is a matter of cognitive appraisal. Likewise, it should be obvious that an important variable in this process is the 'character' or personality of the individual making the appraisal. It is fair to say, however, that the notion of the 'pilot personality' has often been surrounded by a considerable degree of mystique. In the public mind, especially, aviators are sometimes seen as a breed apart, a rare class of individuals endowed with nearly superhuman courage and discipline — the 'Right Stuff', as Tom Wolfe called it in his famous account of test pilots' derring-do. (Indeed, a passing mention of this work seems to be more or less obligatory in discussions of the subject, and even the term itself has made its way into the research literature -- although with a variety of meanings, as we shall see.)
Some of the more picturesque traits associated with the Hollywood stereotype are detailed in the sidebar on the following page; in more positive terms, one of the most salient aspects of the popular image seems to be the idea that the best pilots are unusually cool-headed and impervious to stress. We will consider this hypothesis later in the light of more general research on personality traits, cognitive appraisal patterns, and attitudes associated with stress resistance; first, however, we will review actual research on the psychology of aviators and the personality traits they commonly display.
