AN ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS OF ATC COMMUNICATION

An acoustic analysis of air traffic control communications was conducted using air traffic control specialists (ATCS) from a terminal radar approach control facility. Each ATCS worked light and heavy traffic density scenarios for 2 feeders and 1 final sector. All communications were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Workload was determined by the number of aircraft under positive control when the ATCS initiated a transmission. Utterances were selected to achieve maximum workload contrast. For each participant, the 5 lowest workload utterances from the light version of the scenario (simulating that participant's normal work station) and the 5 highest workload utterances from the heavy version of the scenario (simulating a work station unfamiliar to the participant) were identified and digitized. For all participants, speaking rate, pause frequency and pause duration were generated from the selected utterances using a speech analysis system. The results indicate that ATCSs tended to pause more frequently and for greater duration under a light workload condition. The hesitations found in their speech may reflect a shift between a more cognitive "thinking" response mode in light traffic situations where ATCSs know that they have more time to respond and a more automatic mode, which allows them to respond to the increased pace induced by higher traffic loads. In conclusion, it appears that hesitation in speech may be a potential indicator of workload. Despite its highly speaker-dependent nature, hesitation pauses may be a useful indicator of an ATCS's responding in a cognitive, rather than in an automatic mode.

• Record URL:
  http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/1990s/media/AM98-20.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/40470
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  Office of Aerospace Medicine, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591

  Brown University

  University Hall, Box 1867
  Providence, RI  United States  02912
• Authors:
  • Prinzo, O V
  • Lieberman, P
  • Pickett, E
• Publication Date: 1998-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 27 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acoustic properties; Air traffic; Air traffic control; Air traffic controllers; Cognition; Communication; Simulation; Speech; Workload
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00931285
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FAA/AM-98/20
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 26 2002 12:00AM