Continuing NASA and FAA measurements of the impact of CRM training show that after initial indoctrination significant improvement in attitudes occurs regarding crew coordination and flight deck management. CRM-trained crews operate more effectively as teams and cope more effectively with nonroutine situations. Research also shows that when there is no effective reinforcement of CRM concepts by way of recurrent training, improvements in attitudes observed after initial indoctrination tend to disappear, and individuals' attitudes tend to revert to former levels. Human factors is a multi-disciplinary field devoted to optimizing human performance and reducing human error. It incorporates the methods and principles of the behavioral and social sciences, engineering, and physiology.
Human factors is the applied science which studies people working together in concert with machines.
Human factors embraces variables that influence individual performance and variables that influence team or crew performance. Further, it is recognized that inadequate design and management of crew tasks can contribute to group errors that lead to system performance degradation. The application of team management concepts in the flight deck environment was initially known as Cockpit Resource Management. As CRM programs evolved to include cabin crews, maintenance personnel and others, the phrase Crew Resource Management has been adopted. A current definition includes all other groups routinely working with the cockpit crew who are involved in decisions required to operate a flight safely.