Elevating Aviation Safety: The Critical Role of Bias Awareness and Psychological Safety
Contact Our Team
For more information about how Halldale can add value to your marketing and promotional campaigns or to discuss event exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, contact our team to find out more
The Americas -
holly.foster@halldale.com
Rest of World -
jeremy@halldale.com
Bias impacts how we make decisions, interact with others, and even how effectively aviation safety systems and models are on the flight deck. A new study reveals the importance of understanding the impact of bias in creating psychological safety on the flight deck as a critical element of reducing risk. Dr. Kimberly Perkins’ recent study offered such insights, and participants overwhelmingly agreed that these concepts are crucial for enhancing safety.
In her study, Dr. Perkins provided 1,600 airline pilots with specialized training designed to enhance psychological safety and improve Crew Resource Management (CRM) and the Threat and Error Management (TEM) model. The results demonstrated a significant 260% increase in the number of pilots recognizing psychological safety as “extremely important” for aviation safety, highlighting the effectiveness of targeted educational efforts in transforming perceptions and attitudes.
Two years ago, the Women in Aviation Advisory Board underscored the profound effect of pervasive negative culture on the participation and retention of women in the aviation industry.
Analysis: WIAAB Cites Culture as Driving Women from Aviation
This finding resonated with the results of a 2018 study by Women in Aviation International, which had already identified challenges in recruiting and retaining women. While progress has been slow, there is a growing recognition of the need for a collective effort to create a more inclusive environment.
While there are dozens of organizations aimed at addressing the negative culture problem, we don’t see dramatic improvements in the recruitment and retention of in the industry. “A new approach is now imperative to effectively address the cultural challenges within the industry,” said Dr. Perkins.
But, more importantly, this is not just about women and minorities changing industry. Many accidents have been attributed to poor communications and self-censorship regardless of whether the pilots were male, female or any other minority.
Dr. Kimberly Perkins (right) is a Boeing 787 airline pilot. Source: Author
Data-Driven & Safety-Centered
Dr. Perkins, a former Gulfstream 650 captain and now Boeing 787 airline pilot, conducted groundbreaking doctoral research aimed at developing a new systems-level approach to tackling cultural issues and biased behavior in aviation. Her work focuses on optimizing risk mitigation strategies through a deeper understanding of bias, psychological safety, and other interpersonal skills. She emphasizes biased behavior transcends being merely a recruitment and retention issue for minorities in aviation, asserting, “operating on biased thoughts or feelings can negatively impact the crew environment - and that’s fundamentally a safety issue.” Her perspective challenges conventional approaches that often isolate bias as a standalone problem, proposing instead to integrate bias awareness into broader safety protocols.
Discussing the limitations of traditional “unconscious bias training,” Dr. Perkins points out that such training can unintentionally promote a divisive “us vs. them” mentality. She champions a holistic approach to bias, advocating for a comprehensive exploration of its cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions, highlighting the importance of understanding how bias influences interactions on the flight deck and affects CRM and the TEM model. Dr. Perkins advocates for establishing a safety-centered tone on the flight deck, emphasizing psychological safety to encourage open communication. By tackling bias through this multifaceted strategy, she believes we can boost overall safety, fostering more effective communication, mutual respect, and psychological safety as essential elements of a high-performing flight crew.
The Research
“The flight deck operates as a sociotechnical system, integrating both social interactions (pilot-to-pilot) and technological elements (aircraft systems and technology),” she explained, calling the two subsystems interdependent. “Academic research revealed that pilots are hesitant to share safety-relevant information or may withhold it entirely when the flight deck lacks psychological safety. Self-silencing, poor communication, and inadequate collaboration undermine our ability to effectively identify errors and jointly address threats, thereby increasing the likelihood of an undesired aircraft state.”
WSJ Shows Poor Communications at Root of Most Accidents
Dr. Perkins identified and cited direct correlations between organizational culture and operational risk. Specifically, she notes that a negative culture substantially increases the likelihood of violations of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and professional standards. Such violations may be associated with a rise in Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) events and a higher number of Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) reports.
“Risk increases when a negative culture exists in the flight deck,” Perkins continued. “Effective CRM requires a better understanding of how to build psychological safety to ensure crewmembers engage in safety voice (clear and unambiguous communication),” she reported. “When we advocate for providing pilots with the tools to establish a safety voice culture, we reduce risk. Safety concepts such as culture, setting the tone, understanding barriers to creating an appropriate tone, and how to build psychological safety are critically important for mitigating the risk associated with poor interpersonal skills.”
Advancing Aviation Safety: Bridging Risk Management and Inclusivity
In a significant move towards supporting women and other minority individuals in aviation while simultaneously enhancing aviation safety, Dr. Perkins introduced a comprehensive proposal titled “Advancing Aviation Safety: Bridging Risk Management and Gender Inclusivity with Human Performance Training.” Her data-driven, safety-centered approach focuses on reducing biased behavior and improving safety through robust team dynamics.
Dr. Perkins is inviting industry professionals to support this innovative training regimen, which aims to integrate psychological safety as a key component of aviation safety for the first time. This initiative promises to bridge the gap between risk management and inclusivity, fostering a safer and more collaborative environment.
Dr. Perkins is inviting industry stakeholders and aviation safety advocates to support and contribute to this pioneering initiative at pilot@uw.edu. She wants industry backing before presenting the proposal to decision-makers capable of mandating or establishing the new working group – Human Performance & Pilot Development (HPPD) Working Group – for which she is calling. Currently, over 50 women and allies have endorsed the proposal, including trailblazers who have shattered glass ceilings, aerobatic champions, flight managers, and chief pilots who realize that establishing a good culture is a very real safety issue.
She is particularly eager to gain the support of professionals involved in pilot training, professional development, leadership and command training, safety departments, and human resources.
Proven Strategies for Success in Aviation Safety and Culture
The HPPD Working Group – airline pilots, human factors specialists, and training personnel – would work to embed a safety-centric solution to the negative culture in the aviation industry. This group will integrate bias literacy (cognitive, affective, behavioral), psychological safety, interpersonal communication, emotional intelligence concepts, and other advanced skills into pilot safety training.
The Working Group’s initiative is designed to support the next generation of CRM and TEM training, with a focus on addressing workplace-biased behavior and reducing the interpersonal conflicts that lead to self-silencing and human error. This new training regimen encompasses comprehensive pilot and leadership training aimed at improving aviation safety.
The training aligns with workforce development initiatives and employs key safety metrics to evaluate the impact of advanced interpersonal skills on overall safety enhancement.
The industry can enhance safety and reduce human error by leveraging existing data from established safety programs such as FOQA, ASAP, Advanced Qualification Program (AQP), and Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA). These programs are instrumental in fostering a supportive and psychologically safe culture.
“Airlines are required to offer leadership training to captains,” Dr. Perkins explained. “To enhance this training, we need an FAA advisory circular that includes psychological safety as a core component. While there are various versions of leadership training, it's crucial to educate on how cognitive bias can influence behavior and potentially undermine psychological safety. Additionally, training on emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and self-regulation is essential. By incorporating these elements, we can equip captains with the interpersonal skills necessary to foster a psychologically safe flight deck. This approach enables captains to effectively assess and address crew behavior, ensuring that a microculture for safety voice is established. Ultimately, these tools will optimize the utilization of all available human performance resources, elevating overall aviation safety.”
Her proposal aligns with international standards and Safety Management System (SMS) requirements. She emphasized that this initiative is not solely for pilots but is designed for everyone in the industry.
The challenge isn't confined to the flight deck; it extends to executive offices, maintenance bays, and military bases. “Organizations with a Safety Management System should consider incorporating this training as part of their non-technical training to reduce human error and promote a positive safety culture as part of the Safety Promotion pillar of SMS,” Dr. Perkins told CAT. By integrating this comprehensive training across all levels, we can address the issue holistically and create a safer, more cohesive aviation industry.”
Conclusion
“The aviation industry stands at a crucial crossroads, where the integration of safety and inclusivity can no longer be separated,” said Dr. Perkins, whose innovative research and comprehensive proposal offer a transformative approach to addressing the deep-rooted cultural issues that impact safety. “By fostering psychological safety, enhancing bias literacy, and improving interpersonal skills through targeted training, the industry can create a more supportive aviation environment. This initiative, backed by data and aligned with international standards, calls for the collective effort of industry stakeholders to drive meaningful change. As we embrace these new strategies, we can ensure a future where aviation safety is optimized, and every professional feels valued and empowered. The time to act is now. Together, we can elevate the standards and pave the way for a more inclusive and safer aviation industry.”
