Abstract

The study investigated executive functioning in air traffic controllers. Controllers (N=50) whose job involves multi-tasking in dynamic and complex environment showed significantly better executive functioning than general population (t=8.85, p < 0.01). The negative impact of aging on executive functioning is mitigated in controllers (R2=0.10, F=5.49, p < 0.02) but not in normal. Demand on visuo-spatial abilities seems to boost prefrontal cortex functioning in controllers who were better compared to general population in rule shifting, action planning, spontaneous planning, and allocation of attentional strategies. Further, their job-context demands conscious deliberation and attentional control. Controllers show high adaptability, higher level of attained skill, and better mental imagery. Their ability to detect conflict and predict trajectory, categorize aircrafts in meaningful units might give them advantage in executive functioning. Executive functioning in controllers increased with their increasing job experience (R2 = 0.11, F= 6.15, p < 0.01) whereas it decreased in general population (R2 = 0.05, F=2.83, p < 0.09) though statistically non-significant. Expert controllers showed significantly better executive functioning than novice controllers (t= 3.15, p < 0.01). This may be due to numerous and various factors such as: their specific experiences in the domain, personal style of controlling air traffic, number and diversity of strategies, increased patterning ability, abstractions, recollection and condensation of occurrences experienced, large data base of chunks, recognition of perceptual patterns, development of templates, retrieval structures, gist of traffic situations, deliberate practice, perceptual structures, traffic situations as dynamic complexes, very specific type of knowledge and mode of perception, organized set of response strategies, metacognitive abilities, qualitative differences in memory performance, and having a large stock of appropriate routines to deal with a wide variety of contingencies. Complete absorption involving total attention on task seems to boost executive functioning in controllers. The various executive functions measured are fractionable, so there is no single omni-competent homunculus.