Could Mental Practice and Imagery Be Techniques for Enhancing Aviation Performance?

Abstract

The aviation industry is experiencing an increased demand for training. Unfortunately, however, training in aviation has become equated with the use of expensive, high fidelity simulations. Therefore, the expense of training may preclude some aviators from receiving sufficient practice in the many critical skills required for safe flight. In response to this problem, training professionals must identify approaches that allow for effective practice in the absence of expensive simulation. One candidate approach is mental practice. However, the efficacy of mental practice might be limited by aviators' acceptance of the technique or their ability to use it for flight situations. Therefore, to test the feasibility of mental practice for aviators, the present study sought to assess the degree to which pilots already use mental practice and imagery. Sixty pilots of varying experience levels were surveyed regarding the frequency, vividness, and content of mental practice they use. The results indicate that pilots use mental practice and imagery quite often and report a degree of vividness of mental imagery that is significantly higher than in the general population. Differences between novices and experts in the use of imagery are also presented. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for aviation training.