Unlearning in Flight Training: Enhancing Safety by Overcoming Maladaptive Habits
European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP) 36 Conference, The Hague, Hollanda, 21 - 24 Eylül 2026, ss.1, (Özet Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: The Hague
- Basıldığı Ülke: Hollanda
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1
- İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Continuous change is inherent in airline training and operational processes. When procedural or technological updates directly affect daily operations and training practices, their effective implementation becomes critical. Ineffective transition processes may cause operational disruptions, reduce training efficiency, increase training costs, and introduce risks that may compromise flight safety. Beyond economic implications, such disruptions may weaken safety margins in high-reliability environments. Accordingly, this study examines the barriers that emerge when previously learned knowledge and routines must be abandoned and explores strategies to support safer and more effective adaptation. Within the literature, unlearning is conceptualized as an intentional process through which individuals or organizations consciously discard established knowledge structures, routines, and beliefs. Drawing on organizational learning and cognitive psychology perspectives, unlearning involves questioning outdated practices, reassessing existing cognitive schemas, and developing alternative behavioral patterns that facilitate adaptation to new conditions.
This qualitative study draws on semi-structured interviews conducted with 21 commercial airline pilots employed by an aviation company in Turkiye, with an average flight experience of approximately 6,500 hours. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA through reflexive thematic analysis supported by systematic coding procedures.
Five interrelated themes emerged. (1) Habit Persistence reflects the tendency of deeply ingrained motor and verbal routines to resurface automatically after procedural changes. (2) System-Induced Confusion captures difficulties arising from aircraft variants, interface similarities, and technological changes that increase cognitive load. (3) Training Transfer Challenges highlight limited practice opportunities, fidelity gaps between simulator and real operations, and weak consolidation of newly learned procedures. (4) Stress-Driven Reversion demonstrates how time pressure, perceived risk, and the need for psychological comfort trigger fallback to familiar routines. (5) Organizational Adaptation Barriers reveal inconsistencies in SOPs, instructor standardization, communication of change rationale, and operational performance pressures that complicate procedural change.
Findings indicate that unlearning barriers emerge from the interaction of cognitive automaticity, system design complexity, emotional responses under operational stress, and organizational implementation practices. Addressing these barriers requires training designs that strengthen transfer and adaptability, human-centred procedural communication, and organizational strategies that support proactive unlearning. Promoting deeper unlearning processes may enhance strategic flexibility, reduce error potential, and strengthen the safety resilience of aviation systems.