Focus Questions
Article 2: "Crew Schedules, Sleep Deprivation, and Aviation Performance"
By J.A. Caldwell
In order to get full credit for reading each REP article, keep in mind you will need to complete an essay quiz in which you write (1) a brief summary of the article and (2) a paragraph describing how the article applies to the material you are learning in Psych 1100. The following guiding questions will help keep you focused on the most important aspects of the article.
Remember: You do not have to answer all of these questions in your summary and application essays. An understanding of these focus questions will help you synthesize your responses to the essay questions in the essay quiz.
As you read the Caldwell article and write your summary consider:
• What is the main point of the article?
• Briefly describe the research findings Caldwell reviews. What are some specific effects that fatigue has on pilots?
• Flight duty regulations have focused on limiting the number of hours pilots work. However, Caldwell argues that several other actors are important determinants of fatigue's effect on performance. Identify these factors.
• What are some of the strategies that the article suggests for countering aviation fatigue?
As you read the Caldwell article and write your application consider:
• What research methods are commonly used to study aviation fatigue?
• What does the research presented in this article reveal about the importance of adequate sleep? In particular, how do disruptions in the circadian rhythm affect people?
• How can the research reviewed in this article be used to address real world problems or create policies?
• What other aspects of this article remind you of topics addressed (or to be addressed) in class? (Tip: you may want to review Chapter
2:The Measure of Mind: Methods of Psychology and Chapter 6: The Aware Mind: Elements of Consciousness.
Please note: References to chapter numbers above are specific to the OSU custom edition of the Cacioppo & Freberg 2e (2015) textbook and may not correspond to the textbook used in the Honors sections of Psychology 1100.