The STEP Model: Characterizing Simultaneous Time Effects on Practice for Flight Simulator Performance Among Middle-Aged and Older Pilots
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Authors
Kennedy, Quinn
Taylor, Joy
Noda, Art
Yesavage, Jerome
Lazzeroni, Laura C.
Subjects
Practice effects; age; expertise; real world performance
Advisors
Date of Issue
2015-09
Date
2015-09
Publisher
HHS Public Access
Language
Abstract
Understanding the possible effects of the number of practice sessions (practice) and time between practice sessions (interval) among middle-aged and older adults in real world tasks has important implications for skill maintenance. Prior training and cognitive ability may impact practice and interval effects on real world tasks. In this study, we took advantage of existing practice data from five simulated flights among 263 middle-aged and older pilots with varying levels of flight expertise (defined by FAA proficiency ratings). We developed a new STEP (Simultaneous Time Effects on Practice) model to: (1) model the simultaneous effects of practice and interval on performance of the five flights, and (2) examine the effects of selected covariates (age, flight expertise, and three composite measures of cognitive ability). The STEP model demonstrated consistent positive practice effects, negative interval effects, and predicted covariate effects. Age negatively moderated the beneficial effects of practice. Additionally, cognitive processing speed and intra-individual variability (IIV) in processing speed moderated the benefits of practice and/or the negative influence of interval for particular flight performance measures. Expertise did not interact with either practice or interval. Results indicate that practice and interval effects occur in simulated flight tasks. However, processing speed and IIV may influence these effects, even among high functioning adults. Results have implications for the design and assessment of training interventions targeted at middle-aged and older adults for complex real world tasks.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000043
Series/Report No
Department
Operations Research (OR)
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
This research is supported in part by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, the Department of Veterans Affairs Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), and the National Institute on Aging.
Funder
Grant Number R37 AG 12713 from the National Institute on Aging
Format
26 p.
Citation
Kennedy, Taylor, Noda, Yesavage, & Lazzeroni. (2015). The STEP Model: Characterizing Simultaneous Time Effects on Practice for Flight Simulator Performance Among Middle-Aged and Older Pilots. Psychology and Aging. 30(3), 699 – 711.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.