Determinants of enlisted air traffic controller success

Abstract

Background: This paper provides a brief historical overview of air traffic controller (ATC) selection, reviews current U.S. Air Force (USAF) selection procedures for enlisted ATC trainees, and summarizes the results of three recent studies.

Method: Study 1 examined the validity of the operational selection test (i.e., Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB) against apprentice-level training performance. Study 2 evaluated the impact of alternative selection procedures on training attrition and eligibility for training. Study 3 reviewed the results of a survey of enlisted ATCs designed to identify the personnel characteristics and organizational factors that influence training and job performance.

Discussion: The current selection composite demonstrated acceptable validity for predicting apprentice-level training performance. Alternative cut-score analyses revealed that raising the minimum qualifying score in order to reduce attrition by 5% would lead to an unacceptable 20% reduction in the number of eligible ATC candidates. Using a different ASVAB composite for selection would have less overall impact on the qualification rate, but would disproportionally disqualify women. Results of a survey of enlisted ATCs indicated they were generally satisfied and motivated. In addition, they identified several abilities required for on-the-job performance that are not measured by current USAF selection methods. These included memorization and retention of new information, spatial orientation/visualization, ability to work well in stressful environments, ability to shift between two or more sources of information, and ability to combine and organize information. Implications for ATC selection and training as well as future research directions are discussed.