IP: 37.230.213.75 On: Thu, 25 Oct 2018 00:44:20 Copyright: Aerospace Medical Association Delivered by Ingenta 976 AEROSPACE MEDICINE AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE Vol. 89, No. 11 November 2018 RESEARCH ARTICLE I n order to counteract spatial disorientation (SD) in fight, several methods have been developed. These include visual, vestibular, auditory, somatosensory, and multisen- sory countermeasures. 19 Despite this, SD remains a common phenomenon and still presents a threat to fight safety. 8 In most cases, SD is not recognized by the pilot, making research and analysis of this phenomenon extremely difcult. 23 However, study of the tendency of humans to lose their spatial orientation remains under investigation. 24 SD can directly afect fight con- trol and indirectly impair the pilot’s cognitive performance, 10,31 which, in turn, reduces fight efectiveness. Some SD studies have suggested that experiencing a state of SD may lead to impaired cognitive function 9,27 and psychomotor performance. 16 In the case of SD, regaining balance and orientation is a pri- ority for the human cognitive system. Terefore, all available mental resources are directed to this purpose and with- drawn from any other concurrent tasks. This is a specific priority-setting mechanism that can be understood in the light of the “posture frst” principle. 1 When disoriented, the pilot’s attention should be focused on the sensory aspects of the situa- tion in order to regain stability. Furthermore, his/her interpre- tation of instruments or radio communications, as well as accuracy of judgments and precision of fying maneuvers, will be impaired. Although the “posture frst” principle has a high priority, aircraf pilots must still divide their attention across a wide range of sensory inputs. To help pilots cope with this, they From the Military Institute of Aviation Medicine, Simulator Study and Aeromedical Training Division, Warsaw, Poland. Tis manuscript was received for review in April 2018. It was accepted for publication in July 2018. Address correspondence and reprint requests to: R. Lewkowicz, Ph.D., specialist, Simulator Study and Aeromedical Training Division, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine, 54/56 Krasinskiego Street, 01-755 Warsaw, Poland; rlewkowicz@wiml.waw.pl Reprint & Copyright © by the Aerospace Medical Association, Alexandria, VA. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3357/AMHP.5153.2018 Selective Auditory Attention and Spatial Disorientation Cues Efect on Flight Performance Rafał Lewkowicz; Paweł Stróżak; Bibianna Bałaj; Piotr Francuz; Paweł Augustynowicz INTRODUCTION: The auditory system is not as heavily involved in the pilot’s spatial orientation as the visual and vestibular systems; however, it plays a signifcant role in the cockpit for communication and warning information. The aim of this research was to investigate the combined efect of selective auditory attention and simulator-induced spatial disorientation (SD) cues on pilots’ fight performance. We hypothesized that the fight performance in both disoriented and oriented fight profles would be impaired by selective auditory attention. METHODS: Using an SD simulator, 40 male military pilots (M 5 31.9; SD 5 7.41) were exposed to 12 fight sequences, where 6 contained a SD-confict, 3 with motion illusions and 3 with visual illusions. The pilots performed a duration discrimina- tion task (DDT) involving sound stimuli while completing these profles under SD-confict and nonconfict conditions. RESULTS: In fve fight profles tested, the DDT and SD cues increased the pilots’ cognitive workload, adversely afecting their fight performance. In the approach and landing profles involving visual illusions, signifcant diferences between the control and DDT groups were found for both nonconfict and SD-confict fight sequences, whereas diferences were only signifcant between nonconfict and SD-confict fights for the two vestibular SD profles. DISCUSSION: The results obtained partially support our hypothesis that performing the DDT, even in the absence of SD-confict, signifcantly afects pilots’ fight performance. In some cases, despite the large increase in cognitive workload, pilots did not activate the “posture frst” principle. Pilots should be trained not to respond to auditory stimuli until they have recovered their spatial orientation. KEYWORDS: fight illusions, spatial orientation, auditory system, selective attention. Lewkowicz R, Stróżak P, Bałaj B, Francuz P, Augustynowicz P. Selective auditory attention and spatial disorientation cues efect on fight performance. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(11):976–984.