Objective Job Difficulty, Behavioural Response, and Sector Characteristics in Air Route Traffic Control Centres∗

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Abstract
Two thousand observations on 47 radar sectors in Boston and New York were used to determine the principal behavioural stressors in the air traffic control environment. Predictor variables included peak traffic. mean airspeed, sector area, sector type, radio-communication time, and theoretically derived control load factors. Expert observers rated the degree of activity and behavioural arousal of ATCs working the 47 radar sectors at the same time the objective measures were made. These ‘pace’ ratings were significantly related to peak traffic count and duration of radio-communications. The control load factors were not related to behavioural responses. Statistical analyses indicated several refinements for the definition and measurement of the control load factors, For example, airspace control load was reliably estimated by sector type and number of transitioning planes, while co-ordination control load was most appropriately estimated by duration of radio-communications These results suggested that estimations of workload may be made by a relatively few objective measures, and that at least one estimate of individual's behavioural responses, i.e.. pace ratings, can be predicted by peak traffic counts.