Pilots and EI

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TheGreenAnger
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Pilots and EI

#1 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:25 am

A recently published study found significant differences in trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) in pilots compared to the general U.S. population. For the study, a control group was matched with a pilot group at a 2:1 ratio based on factors including age, gender, ethnicity and educational background. The results indicated that pilots scored consistently lower than their counterparts in global trait EI, as well as three of its four factors: well-being, emotionality and sociability. For the fourth factor, self-control, no significant differences were identified.

“Overall, the findings show that pilots tend to have lower trait EI scores, indicating less confidence and reliance on their emotional world, with all the advantages and disadvantages this might entail, since high scores are not considered universally adaptive and desirable in trait EI theory,” researchers wrote in the study. “Although exploratory, these findings highlight promising avenues for future trait EI research within the broader sector of international aviation. Such research will help practitioners identify new opportunities in pilot training and organizational culture, the better to equip pilots for aviation duty, ultimately leading to improved safety, performance, and all-around satisfaction.”

The study assessed a group of 44 pilots using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) and compared the results to a control group taken from a TEIQue U.S. dataset. 93 percent of the pilot participants were male, ages ranged between 24 and 67 years, and flight experience varied from 150 hours to over 5,000 hours. Participants included both rotary- and fixed-wing pilots from military and civilian aviation organizations.
- https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/stu ... -s-pilots/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-18868-4
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Re: Pilots and EI

#2 Post by boing » Sat Nov 12, 2022 3:55 pm

Another HR kingdom being created. The old pilot on pilot interview has always worked fine in the past. Reminds me of two occasions in my own career that I will recount for their amusement value.

First. Very, very, formal interview in large room with very, very, long heavy wooden table surrounded by wood paneled walls and high, arching, windows. Five interviewers centered on the far side of the massive table with a single chair for little me on the opposite side. Centre man on the other side of the table is the VP of Flight Operations, he opens the proceedings by saying he does not know very much about this interviewing stuff but he does like to drop by to see what "sort of chaps" we are hiring "dont'cha know". To his right is a senior Captain in full regalia with his hat on the table in front of him with the gold braided peak conspicuously forward, he is the Fleet Chief Pilot for one of the aircraft types. To the VP's left a senior personnel officer with open files and organised piles of forms in front of him.

After the VP's welcome I am handed to the personnel officer who takes over to confirm I am who they think I am and go through my basic application, I am then handed over to the Fleet Chief Pilot. "Boing, I see you were on XXX squadron in the airforce, a very good friend of mine was Squadron Commander there, John XXXX, did you know him?" It so happened I had been a stand-in co-pilot for Wing Commander XXXX on his Refresher Training and, despite our relative seniorities, we got on very well spending time in the bar together after work. I replied only that I knew him very well. At this point the Personnel Officer made a quiet but not too subtle demonstration of closing all of his folders and stacking his documents in a single pile in front of him in preparation to depart, he could see his part of the job was over.

Next example, in the US. I applied for major airline job, first there was sequence of preliminary interviews, medical examinations and psychological tests at the companies training centre. Next, some weeks later, this was followed by a separate interview with a line pilot interviewer but prior to this interview you took a fancy standardised written test that was used by many companies prior to hiring in the US. For me it was a total disaster, there were all sorts of questions about US history, US sports, US commerce, the US economy --- I knew next to B-- all about any of the subjects.

The actual pilot interview went well but at the end of it I had to insist that I explain to the interviewer how bad my results of the standardised test might be because, of course, he had not seen these yet. He did not take my concerns very seriously merely telling me not to worry about it, this only made me more concerned. Eventually he looked me straight in the face and said pointedly "Don't worry about it, OK?". A week later I got my acceptance letter.

Now, I think I gave these companies value for money and certainly the vast group of pilots hired by these companies got on well together and respected each other as people and pilots so really I can't see the need for a new psycho-babble intervention in the hiring but I suppose in the new world it is going to happen.

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Re: Pilots and EI

#3 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sat Nov 12, 2022 4:36 pm

I put as much credence in psychometric testing as I do in the outcome of Myers–Briggs Type Indicator tests (i.e., almost zero credence).

Any intelligent human being can work through those types of facile analysis and appear to be what they might not be. I suspect that all things being equal, if your future boss likes the cut of your jib, and you are technically competent to do what he/she wants you to do, then you are already on the road to being hired before references are taken.
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Re: Pilots and EI

#4 Post by G~Man » Sat Nov 12, 2022 5:34 pm

I have a perfect balance, and am perfectly capable of expressing feelings of love, respect and admiration, they just normally don't involve anyone else.....
B-) Life may not be the party you hoped for, but while you're here, you may as well dance. B-)

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Re: Pilots and EI

#5 Post by PHXPhlyer » Sat Nov 12, 2022 5:49 pm

G~Man wrote:
Sat Nov 12, 2022 5:34 pm
I have a perfect balance, and am perfectly capable of expressing feelings of love, respect and admiration, they just normally don't involve anyone else.....
=))

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Re: Pilots and EI

#6 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:56 pm

G~Man wrote:
Sat Nov 12, 2022 5:34 pm
I have a perfect balance, and am perfectly capable of expressing feelings of love, respect and admiration, they just normally don't involve anyone else.....
You are a helicopter pilot, used to being unbalanced. You are a dude, and you will abide!



:-bd
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Re: Pilots and EI

#7 Post by G~Man » Sun Nov 13, 2022 1:06 am

TheGreenAnger wrote:
Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:56 pm
You are a helicopter pilot, used to being unbalanced. You are a dude, and you will abide!
:-bd
Yes I will, currently "abiding" on my boat in Long Beach studying for my exams on Friday....

I am taking a two week prep course for getting my US Coast Guard 100 ton Master ticket.... This training and the volume of information required is one of the hardest courses I have done. Pretty much 8 hours i the classroom everyday followed by about 3 hours of study and charting at night....and about 7 hours each weekend day. I have 5 exams on Friday.....

And I know...I know.... but I want to drive big boats commercially as well as helicopters.....

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315424633_10232000828192503_235763686962884761_n.jpg
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Re: Pilots and EI

#8 Post by PHXPhlyer » Sun Nov 13, 2022 1:25 am

I know you won't need it, but good luck anyway! :-bd

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Re: Pilots and EI

#9 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Sun Nov 13, 2022 1:34 am

The usual complete rubbish from the academic psych types.
Their research has been proven multiple times to be the least scientific of any field except education. Look up WEIRD.
For a start, we got a psych test from an RAF trick cyclist during our medical training. He was a very practical chap. Unlike the Nature article referred to, we turned out to be introverts, and he said he'd seen the same for 30 years.
The tests are highly variable depending on who sets the tests, who for, what they are looking for, and cultural norms. Basically, they find what they want to find.
I did a psych evaluation for the RAF once, as a guinea pig, then quite by chance a couple of years later I met one of the docs who had run it. Turned out it was the Swedish Air Force test for discovered who was crazy, and so a training risk, and the RAF was thinking of adopting it. The RAF found that all its pilots scored the reverse of the Swedes - people had a better chance of making it to the front line on fast jets the more crazy the Swedish test said they were.* The negative correlation was very strong, and the docs recommended adopting the test but reversing the scores. The AFB decided that 'RAF hires madmen to fly nuclear bombers' was not a Daily Wail headline they wanted to read, and demurred.

As for the Myers-Briggs test, I have faked a profile during a job interview by giving the answers they wanted to hear. None of their so-called checks picked it up, and that was after I told them before the test it could be faked. They offered me the job, and I turned them down specifically because they used MB.

Best of luck, G-man. A proper boat qual is worth having!

*"So", I said to the doc, "Does that mean I'm crazy?"
"Probably"

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Re: Pilots and EI

#10 Post by boing » Sun Nov 13, 2022 4:06 am

indicating less confidence and reliance on their emotional world, with all the advantages and disadvantages this might entail,
I guess we just proved that by our replies.

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Re: Pilots and EI

#11 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sun Nov 13, 2022 11:25 am

G~Man wrote:
Sun Nov 13, 2022 1:06 am
TheGreenAnger wrote:
Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:56 pm
You are a helicopter pilot, used to being unbalanced. You are a dude, and you will abide!
:-bd
Yes I will, currently "abiding" on my boat in Long Beach studying for my exams on Friday....

I am taking a two week prep course for getting my US Coast Guard 100 ton Master ticket.... This training and the volume of information required is one of the hardest courses I have done. Pretty much 8 hours i the classroom everyday followed by about 3 hours of study and charting at night....and about 7 hours each weekend day. I have 5 exams on Friday.....

And I know...I know.... but I want to drive big boats commercially as well as helicopters.....
Good luck, although I am sure that yourdiligence and skill will see you through without the need for luck at all! :-bd
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Re: Pilots and EI

#12 Post by Rossian » Sun Nov 13, 2022 3:30 pm

It might be of some interest to folks here if you dig out the series of talks by a USAF flight surgeon called "The failed pilot". The video quality is not great but he has some interesting comments to an audience of mixed aircrew,including some women which seem to strike home with some of them. I recognised some in myself, eg prior to deployment, mentally you're already down the route. My wife watched them with me and I heard the occasional "Yup, I recognise that bit!" Don't dismiss it all out of hand.

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