Research on the Cognitive Mechanisms of Aural Alert Design in Civil Aircraft Cockpit

Abstract

Research on the cognitive and behavioral response of flight crews to aural alerts is a challenging and critical area both in the fields of human factors and cognitive psychology. Studying the impact of aural alerts on crew recognition, understanding, task performance, and overall experience provides a theoretical foundation for the design of aural alerts.

This paper summarizes the design of aural alerts in the cockpit of civil aircraft while tracing the evolution of the aural alert system from simple aural alerts to multi-modal alert design leading to the trend of the development of aural alerts towards more user-friendly interaction between humans and computers was concluded. Besides, this section proposes design points for aural alerts, including sound types, cancelable modes and persistence characteristics. It also explores the design features to improve pilots’ perception of flight status and their ability to cope with emergencies. Finally, this study analyzes the cognitive mechanism of aural alerts with the methodology of cognitive psychology and human factors engineering. The study evaluates the effects of different designs of aural alert information elements on crew perception, understanding, and task execution. The design of the cockpit aural alert system is crucial for the pilot’s understanding of the flight situation and response speed to emergencies, which serves as a vital link between the pilot and the aircraft. Therefore, the design of aural alerts should focus on human-computer interaction and pilots’ experience. The cockpit aural alert system must balance flight safety and pilots’ experience, improve operational efficiency and enhance overall experience in stressful environments.