score high on this scale tend to be interested in
some particular facet of science or liberal arts,
while persons in technical and skilled trades tend
to have scores similar to those of controllers.
The score on the Masculinity-Feminity Scale was
about average for men, an indication that
controllers have a typically masculine interest
pattern. The score on the Occupational Introver-
sion-Extroversion Scale was also typical for men
and suggests a balance between an orientation
that is highly “people” centered (as would be
typical of social or teaching occupations) and
one that is highly “thing” directed (as would be
typical of engineers, technicians, etc.) (See Table
1).

‘Taste 1. Mean scores for air traffic controllers on five
general scales from the Strong Vocational Interest
Blank

Scale Mean*
Academic Achievement 419
Specialization Level 38.4
Masculinity-Femininity 512
Occupational Introversion-Extroversion 46.7

*For each scale, the mean score for men in general is
50.0.

As for the findings on the various occupational
scales, it can be seen in Figure 2 that, as in the
case of the 16PF, controllers differ relatively
little from men in general with respect to voca-
tional interests. None of the patterns of interests
for other occupations clearly fit the interest pat-
terns of air traffic controllers, Such matches
would be indicated by scores on the occupational
scales in the A or B+ range. The only occupa-
tional group for which controllers show a dis-
cernible trend to score more highly than men in
general is group III, the “technical supervision”
group. Here the primary correspondence is to
the Army and Air Force Officer Scales. This is
especially significant because officer and controller
career patterns tend to be rather similar. espe-
cially with the advent of early retirement pro-
grams for controllers, Military officers generally
have a relatively short career of approximately
20 years. When they retire, they then pursue 2
variety of second careers not necessarily asso-
ciated with their military experience. This may
also be increasingly the case with controllers (See
Figure 2).

Even though controllers are similar to men in
general, it is possible to derive an air traffic con-
troller scale for the SVIB. The items that com-
pose this scale tend to be weighted toward the
“masculinity” dimension. For example, con-
trollers frequently designated the following occu-
pations as those in which they might like to be
engaged: athletic director, auto racer, airplane
pilot, professional baseball player, rancher, and.
computer operator. They would not like to be
university professors (although many are cer-
tainly capable of this type of endeavor), teachers,
or librarians. For amusement, they tend to pre-
fer playing poker, visiting nightclubs, and read-
ing popular mechanics magazines somewhat more
than most men. For activities, working on cars,
operating machinery, and engaging in competi-
tive activities were endorsed substantially more
often by controllers than by the general male
population. Interestingly, one item in particular
that was checked an unusually large number of
times was “pursuing bandits in a sheriff's posse.”
Responses such as this clearly fit a “masculine”
orientation that may be characteristic of con-
trollers.

To complete the consideration of the controller,
it is appropriate to consider the controller atti-
tudes that emerged from the survey of 792 jour-
neyman controllers conducted in early 1972.7" One
purpose of that survey was to determine what
controllers liked best and what they liked least
about ATC work (Figure 3). As you can see,
most of the positive statements about ATC work
concerned the work itself; most of the negative
statements concerned agency policy and admin-
istration or working conditions. Now the ques-
tion is, how unique is this distribution? Accord-
ing to Dr. Frederick Herzberg,’ who devised
the classification scheme, satisfaction in work
should arise from factors related to what the in-
dividual does, or what Dr. Herzberg calls “moti-
yators.” He theorizes that most dissatisfaction
should arise from so-called “hygiene factors,”
which describe the context or environment in
which one works. With air traffic controllers, as
with most other occupations, this is clearly borne
out. The only substantial discrepancy between
what is expected from the theory and the re-
sponses of controllers is on the salary factor,
which many researchers feel is not properly in-
cluded as a hygiene factor. It should also be



tions, should respond favorably to motivational
programs that have been successfully applied to
other work settings. For one thing, such pro-
grams are not hygiene oriented. Although im-
proving working conditions, salary, and mana-
gerial effectiveness will reduce job dissatisfaction,
employee morale and productivity are more effec-
tively and permanently influenced by motivation-
oriented job-enrichment programs. These pro-
grams emphasize the personal responsibility and
self-direction of the employee as well as the em-
ployee’s participation in the decision-making
process on those matters relevant to his work
situation. In fact, the very characteristics of air

traffic controllers that differ from those of men
in general are likely to enhance the effectiveness
of such programs as well as make them impera-
tive for long-term improvement of controller
morale. Controllers, because they are bright and
action oriented, tend to be intolerant of routine,
demanding of opportunities to actively partici-
pate in decision-making processes, and capable
of providing sophisticated input concerning the
structure and management of the ATC system.
Such job-enrichment opportunities would there-
fore appear to hold the greatest promise for im-
provement of the “people” side of the ATC
system.

REFERENCES

. Campbell, D. P.: Manual for the Strong Vocational
Interest Blank, Stanford, California, Standford Uni-
versity Press, 1966.

Cattell, R. B. H. W. Eber, and M.M. Tatsuoka:
Handbook for the Sixteen Personality Factor Ques-
tionnaire, Champaign, Illinois, Institute for Person-
ality and Ability Testing, 1970.

Cobb, B. B.: Air Traffic Aptitude Test Measures of
Military and FAA Controller Trainees, FAA Office
of Aviation Medicine Report No. AM-71-40, 1971.
Cobb, B. B., J. J. Mathews, and ©. D, Lay: A Com-
parative Study of Female and Male Air Traffic Con-
troller Trainees, FAA Office of Aviation Medicine
Report No. AM-72-22, 1972.

. Herzberg, F.: Work and the Nature of Man, Cleve-
land, Ohio, World Publishing Co., 1966.

Karson, S., and J. W. O’Dell: Personality Makeup of
the American Air Traffic Controller, AEROSPACE
MEDICINE, 45: 1001-1007, 1974.

is

*

Pa

-

7. Smith, R. C.: Comparison of the Job Attitudes of
Personnel in Three Air Traffic Control Specialties,
AEROSPACE MEDICINE, 44:918-927, 1973.

a

. Smith, R. C., and G. L. Hutto: Interest Patterns of
Controllers in Three Air Traffic Control Specialties.
Paper presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of
the Aerospace Medical Association, Washington, D.C.,
May 1974.

9. Tiffin, J., and EB, McCormick: Industrial Psychology,
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, Inc.,
1965.

10.

‘Trites, D. K,: Problems in Air ‘Traffic Management:
VI. Interaction of Training Entry Age With Intellec-
tual and Personality Characteristics of Air Traffic
Control Special . FAA Office of Aviation Medicine
Report No. AM-65-21, 1965.



16 PF TEST PROFILE

(Scomisaiveness)

FP [Soser, PRUDENT, SERIOUS, TAcITURN] © * +
{Desurgency)

EXPEDIENT, OISREGAROS RULES. |
G EELS FEW OBLIGATIONS
"Tester suocrege Sergi

SHY, RESTRAINED, TIMID, |, wy,

H THREAT-SENSITIVE
(Theectio)

TOUGH-MINDED, SELF-RELIANT. |, ,
I REALISTIC, NO-NONSENSE
(Hotrio}

TRUSTING, ADAPTABLE, FREEOF] , .
L JEALCUSY, EASY TO GET ALONG

(lox

RACTICAL, CAREFUL, CONVENTION. | 2 ee
M AL, REGULATED BY EXTERNAL
REALITIES, PROPER (Proxeenio)

PORTHRIGHT, NATURAL, ARTLESS |. 0.

N UNPRETENTIOUS
SELF-ASSURED, CONFIOENT. |... guy

oO SERENE

(Untroubled odeavocy)

CONSERVATIVE, RESPECTING EsTAB-| .  .
[AEC ICEAS, TOLERANT OF TRADI
DIFFICULTIES (Conserve

DEPENDENT, A “JOINER” ANDO], wk
SOUND FOLLOWER
(Group adherance)

| Low scone are ‘STANDARD TEN SCORE (STEN) ate
DESCRIPTION ° A ° > Average See eons
RESERVED, DETACHED, CRITICAL, | ¥ Y y a) (OUTGOING, VARHEA WAREREARTED, EASY.
A ‘ALOOF : GOING, PARTICI>AT
(Sizothymio) > (Ritectotnymie armerly yctothysso)
LESS INTELLIGENT, CONCRETE], . MORE INTELLIGENT, ABSTRACT
B THINKING + + TTHINKING, BRIGHT
(Lower scholastic mental capacity) (Higher scholastic mental capacity)
JAPFECTED BY FEELINGS, EMOTIONAL-| | |, fe 8. |engrionstey staace: Faces
Cc LY LESS STABLE, EASILY UPSET REALITY, CALM, ‘4
(Lower eg0 strength) [Higher ego strengr}
LD, ACCOMMODATING} yg oo. ASSERTIVE, AGGRESSIVE, STUBBORN,
E te A CONFORMING * [COMPETITIVE

(Dominance)

MAPPY.CO-LUCKY, IMPULSIVELY
LIVELY, GAY, ENTHUSIASTIC
urgency)

CONSCIENTIOUS, PERSEVERING,
STAID, MORALISTIC

(Stronger superego strength)

VENTURESOME, SOCIALLY BOLD,
UNINHIBITED, SPONTANEOUS.
(Pormio)

TENDERMINDED, CLINGING,
OVER-PROTECTED, SENSITIVE

(Prensio)
. suspicious, SEL F-oPiNioNaTED.
7 + THaro
[Protension)
«gg JMAGINATIVE, WRAPPED UP IN INNER
URGENCIES, ESS OF PRACTICAL

5, CAREL
Auto) MATTERS, BOHEMIAN

SHREWD, CALCULATING, WORLOLY,
PENETRATING
(Shrewdness)

APPREHENSIVE, SELF-REPROACHING,
WORRYING, TROUBLED
{Guilt proneness)

EXPERIMENTING, LIBERAL,
ANALYTICAL, FREE-THINKING
(Radicalism)

SELF-SUFFICIENT, PREFERS OWN
DECISIONS, RESOURCEFUL
(elf-sufficiency)

OMFLICT, FOL]. ee + +g [EONTROLLED, SOCIALLY PRECISE,
eee CARELESS OF FOLLOWING SELF-IMAGE
thew ion) self-concept control)
RELAXED, TRAN rn tach | «+, TENSE, FRUSTRATED, DRIVEN,
a UUEPUSTRAT OVERWROUGHT
teu erie tenon) (High ergic tension)
Aden to 2 3 4 7 & 9 10 in obtained

by about 23% 44% 92% 15.0% 19.1% 19.1% 15.0% 9.2% 44% 23% Of edvlts

Fiovre. 1,

Average 16PF profiles for journeyman air traffic controllers (solid line) and airline pilots (broken line).

The two vertical marks on each scale indicate the range of scores that may be considered typical for the general

adult male population.

programs.‘ It should be added that the lifestyle
area in which controllers showed most divergence
from men in general, the tough-mindedness di-
mension, is one that would suggest a lack of con-
cern with purely intellectual pursuits in favor
of more practical interests.

The same pattern of overall ‘similarity to men
in general was also obtained in the recently com-
pleted survey of interest patterns of jowmeyman
controllers,’ in which the Strong Vocational In-
terest Blank (SVIB)* was completed by more

than 700 controllers at various facilities across
the country. Looking first at the general scales
(Table 1), we can see that controllers appear to
score considerably below the typical college grad-
uate on the Academic Achievement Scale, a
measure of interest patterns that are conducive
to good scholarly performance. By the same
token, controllers score relatively low on the Spe-
cialization Level Scale, a measure of the willing-
ness to focus one’s interests and activities into a
fairly narrow field of endeavor. Persons who


PROFILE — STRONG VOCATIONAL INTEREST BLANK FOR MEN

LETTER RATINGS AND STANDARD SCORES
Group Scale c C+ B- B Bt A

t DENTIST a ko fs so es eos
OSTEOPATH

VETERINARIAN

PHYSICIAN

PSYCHIATRIST

PSYCHOLOGIST a soos os 00 peo as

BIOLOGIST

iT ARCHITECT
MATHEMATICIAN

PHYSICIST I

CHEMIST a as [eo [es 00 08 eo es

ENGINEER

i. PRODUCTION MGR.
ARMY OFFICER

‘AIR FORCE OFFICER

CARPENTER

FOREST SERVICE MAN

FARMER

MATH-SCIENCE TEACHER
PRINTER

POLICEMAN

Vv. PERSONNEL DIRECTOR
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR
ILITATION COUNSELOR
YMCA SECRETARY

a a a)

as 80S

SOCIAL SCIENCE TEACHER
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
MINISTER
vi LIBRARIAN
ARTIST
MUSICIAN PERFORMER
MUSIC TEACHER
CPA OWNER
t SENIOR CPA
ACCOUNTANT
OFFICE WORKER
PURCHASING AGENT
BANKER
PHARMACIST
MORTICIAN es to idee CORE Ca CY
x SALES MANAGER
REAL ESTATE SALESMAN
LIFE INSURANCE SALESMAN
ADVERTISING MAN
LAWYER
AUTHOR —- JOURNALIST
PRES., MFG. CONCERN

UPPL. OCCUP. SCALES
CREDIT MANAGER
CHAMBER OF COMM. EXEC.
PHYSICAL THERAPIST
COMPUTER PROGRAMMER
BUSINESS EDUC. TEACHER
COMMUNITY RECR. ADMIN. |

Fieure 2. Average Strong Vocational Interest Blank pattern for journeyman air traftic controllers. The mark on
each scale indicates the degree of correspondence between controller interest patterns and interest patterns of
persons successful in the various occupations listed. Average scores in the A and B+ range indicate relatively
close correspondence, scores in the B range indicate general correspondence, scores in B— or C+ range indicate
slight correspondence, and scores in the © range indicate no correspondence to specific interest pattrens.

CC a

\<j<)

pe

Ca er

4


Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No.
FAA-AM-74~12
4, Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date
December 1974
A REALISTIC VIEW OF THE PEOPLE IN AIR TRAFFIC 3 Perfomming Organizatvon Code
CONTROL
[8. Performing Organization Report No.
7 Author's)
Roger C. Smith, Ph. D.
9. Performing Organization Name ond Address 10, Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute
P.O. Box 25082 11. Contract or Grant No.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73125

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Office of Aviation Medicine OAM Report
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Avenue, SW. 14." Sponsoring Agency Code

Washington, D.C. 20591

15. Supplementary Notes

This research was conducted under Tasks AM-A-72-PSY-34, AM-B-73-PSY-34, and
AM-C-74-PSY-34,

16. Abstract

An overview of research findings on air traffic controllers is presented. Results
of personality, aptitude, motivation, interest, and attitude studies are considered
in terms of the general pattern of characteristics found to be associated with
success in the air traffic profession, The implications of these findings for
managerial programs is discussed.

17. Key Words 18, Distribution Stotement
Air Traffic Control Personnel Document is available to the public through
Personality Attitudes the National Technical Information Service,
Occupational Interest Motivation Springfield, Virginia 22151
T9. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Clossif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages | 22. Price
sce ape $3.00 PC
Unclassified Unclassified 6 $ 195 MF

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page outhorized



DISLIKES IN GENERAL
20% 0
1 n

LIKES IN GENERAL
20% 40% 60%

CATEGORY

60% 40%
WORK ITSELF (M)
ACHIEVEMENT (M)
RESPONSIBILITY (M)
RECOGNITION (M)
ADVANCEMENT (M)

POSSIBILITY OF GROWTH (M)

COMPANY POLICY AND (H)
ADMINISTRATION
WORKING CONDITIONS (H)

SUPERVISION ~ TECHNICAL (H)
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS— (H)
PEER

FACTORS IN PERSONAL LIFE (H)

SALARY (H) 11s
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS~ (H)

SUPERIOR
JOB SECURITY (H)
STATUS (H)
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS~ (41)

SUBORDINATE

90% 60% 30% 60% — 90%

MOTIVATOR FACTORS 66.8
HYGIENE FACTORS 70.6 fee Sime] 33.2

Ficure 3. Percentages of statements concerning likes and dislikes about air traffic control work classified in each of
Herzberg’s six motivator (M) and hygiene (H) factors.

noted, inasmuch as controllers are sometimes ac-
cused of being especially negative toward man-
agement, that approximately 35 percent of the
dislike responses concerned the policy and ad-
ministration factor, a figure that compares very
closely with the average of 31 percent obtained
from studies of various occupations reported by
Herzberg. In other words, controllers appear
to be no more negative toward management than
are most other occupational groups (See Figure
3).

Finally, with respect to job satisfaction, more
than 91 percent of the controllers indicated that
they were satisfied or very satisfied with being
in the ATC profession. This is an extremely
high percentage from an employee group; more
typically, about 80 percent of an occupational
group will report overall job satisfaction.?

In sum, what do these data mean for manage-
ment and motivation in the ATC system? Taken
together, they suggest that the controller, being
more like than unlike employees in other occupa-





A REALISTIC VIEW OF THE PEOPLE IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

Over the past few years, there have been many
research studies concerned with the air traffic
controller side of the air traffic control (ATC)
system. Included among these investigations
have been studies of the personality, aptitude,
interest, motivation, and attitude characteristics
of controllers. This paper is an attempt to draw
together the main points of these research find-
ings in order to come to a more comprehensive
understanding of the people involved in air traffic
control. Such an understanding is essential to
the development of effective motivational and
managerial programs for the ATC work force.

First, let us consider the personality traits of
air traffic controllers. The FAA Office of Avia-
tion Medicine has conducted an extensive assess-
ment of controllers and controller applicants by
use of the 16PF questionnaire. As can be seen
in Figure 1, which presents a distillation of data
collected by Karson and O’Dell® (and kindly
shared with this author), a wide range of per-
sonality characteristics are considered across the
16 factors included in the questionnaire. Two
profiles are presented in the figure; the circles
connected by the solid lines compose the average
profile of approximately 11,000 controllers at
centers and towers. It is immediately apparent
from an examination of the average scores of
controllers on each of these factors that con-
trollers differ little from men in general. With
only four exceptions, the mean scores for the
scales are within the “average” range of scores
denoted by the shaded area. Furthermore, the
scores on only three of these scales actually fall
outside the range of scores that could be reason-
ably expected by chance in the general popula-
tion;* this normal range is denoted by the two
vertical marks on each scale. These three scales
are intelligence (B), to which we shall return in

* Technically, this range is described as plus or minus
one standard error of measurement and is the range of
scores about the mean that could be considered “aver-
age” because of chance variability in the test scores.

a moment; the scale that measures conformity
(G); and the scale reflecting a tough-minded,
no-nonsense, self-reliant approach to life (I).
Another scale on which controllers also tend to
have a slightly higher-than-average score is the
measure of self-control and decisiveness (Qs).
Taken together, these findings indicate that con-
trollers tend to be a quite normal group, differing
from the general male population only in that
they are brighter than average and have a tend-
ency to respond in a somewhat more exclusively
masculine manner to most situations than is
typical of men in general (See Figure 1).

The second profile on Figure 1 represents the
average for airline pilots? and is presented for
comparison purposes. It can be seen that the
pilots differ distinctly from men in general on 11
of the 16 factors, as contrasted with only +
factors on which controllers and men in general
differ. There is, however, some similarity he-
tween the shape of-the profiles for the two oceu-
pational groups. This similarity suggests certain
common response tendencies; however, on almost
every scale, the controllers were closer to the
average of men in general than were the pilots.

The 16 PF finding on intelligence is consistent
with the results of the extensive assessment of
controller aptitudes conducted at the FAA Civil
Aeromedical Institute.’ * It has been found,
for example, that the California Test of Mental
Maturity, a general measure of intelligence, yields
an estimate of controller intelligence that is about
at the level indicated by the 16PF.*° Controllers
usually obtain scores on this measure that fall in
the upper 20 percent of the general population.
They also tend, as a group, to do especially well
on measures of spatial orientation, spatial vis-
ualization, memory, numerical ability, and ab-
stract reasoning. This means that controllers
have considerable intellectual power and educa-
tional potential, although it has been noted that
relatively few controllers have directed their at-
tentions to pursuing extensive higher education