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Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-03/14
Title and Subtitle: Personality Characteristics of Air Traffic Control Specialists as Predictors of Disability Retirement
Report Date: October 2003
Authors: Dollar C, Broach D, Schroeder D
Abstract:
Introduction. Previous research has demonstrated that psychological factors may play a role in disability retirements. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether psychological factors such as personality were related to disability retirements from the air traffic control specialist (ATCS) occupation.
Method. Fifty-two cases of controllers retiring on disability between October 1995 and September 2001 were matched exactly on four characteristics with 104 active controllers: (a) age at entry; (b) gender; (c) race; (d) air traffic option. About half of the cases were also matched exactly with controls on aptitude test score; the remainder was matched within a narrow range of scores. Personality had been assessed at entry with Cattell’s 16 Personality Factor (16PF) test. On average, the 16PF was administered about 12 years before the disability date (range 6 to 24 years). Multivariate discriminant analysis between groups (retired cases versus active controllers) was conducted using the 16PF standardized scale scores.
Results. Overall, a discriminant function based on three of the 16 scales correctly classified 69.2% of subjects (Wilk’s lambda = .807, chi-square(3) = 32.8, p < .001): Sensitivity (standardized discriminant coefficient = .386); Suspiciousness (-.313); and Tension (.340).
Discussion. The analysis found that controllers taking disability retirement were less suspicious, more sensitive, and more tense than active controllers. These results are consistent with previous research in other occupations showing that psychological factors are related to disability retirements (Rogers, 1998). However, the relatively low proportion of variance accounted for by the discriminant function suggests that factors other than personality may also be related to disability retirements in the ATCS occupation. Future research should focus on identifying and describing the interactions between individual controller characteristics, working conditions, and task demands to better understand the etiology of disability retirements.
Key Words: Personality, Predicting Disability Retirement, 16PF Characteristics, Air Traffic Control Specialist
No. of Pages: 10
