FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
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AVIATION MEDICINE REPORTS

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-00/32

Title and Subtitle: The relationship between aviators' home-based stress to work stress and self-perceived performance

Report Date: October 2000

Authors: Fiedler, E.R., Della Rocco, P.S., Schroeder, D.J., and Nguyen, K.

Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between domestic-based stress and pilots' perceptions of their effectiveness in the cockpit and in the office. Despite the importance placed on the family as a source of social support, there have been few systematic studies of the relationships between pilot family life, workplace stress, and performance. As part of a larger study, 19 United States Coast Guard (USCG) helicopter pilots at two air stations completed a stress questionnaire (adapted from Cooper and Sloan, 1986), rated the importance of various coping strategies, and evaluated their own flying performance.

The results of this study indicate that the effects of domestic stress carry over to the pilots' work world, directly influencing work stress and indirectly affecting pilots' perceptions of their flying performance. The positive influence of home life in mediating stress was noted when pilots were asked to rate the importance of various coping strategies. Pilots rated three aspects of home life as the most "important" factors in helping them cope with problems or stress. Thus, domestic-related issues were very important to this group of USCG pilots, suggesting the need for management to maintain awareness of how the quality of home life may affect the work environment and overall performance.

Key Words: Aviators, Pilots, Stress, Job Performance

No. of Pages: 10