Aircrews and Automation Bias: The Advantages of Teamwork?

Abstract A series of recent studies on automation bias, the use of automation as a heuristic replacement for vigilant information seeking and processing, has investigated omission and commission errors in highly automated decision environments. Most of the research on this phenomenon has been conducted in a single-person performance configuration. This study was designed to follow up on that research to investigate whether the error rates found with single pilots and with teams of students would hold in the context of an aircraft cockpit, with a professional aircrew. In addition, this study also investigated the efficacy of possible interventions involving explicit automation bias training and display prompts to verify automated information. Results demonstrated the persistence of automation bias in crews compared with solo performers. No effects were found for either training or display prompts. Pilot performance during the experimental legs was most highly predicted by performance on the control leg and by event importance. The previously found phantom memory phenomenon associated with a false engine fire event persisted in crews.