Practical Color Vision Tests for Air Traffic Control Applicants: En route Centerand Terminal Facilities

摘要

Two practical color vision tests were developed and validated for use inscreening Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) applicants for work at en route center or terminal facilities. The development of the tests involved careful reproduction/simulation of color-coded materials from the most demanding, safety critical color task performed in each type of facility. The tests were evaluated using 106 subjects with normal color vision and 85 with color vision deficiency. The en route center test, named the Flight Progress Strips Test (FPST), required the identification of critical red/black coding in computer printing and handwriting on flight progress strips. The terminal option test, named the Aviation Lights Test (ALT), simulated red/green/white aircraft lights that must be identified in night ATC tower operations. Color coding is a non-redundant source of safety-critical information in both tasks. The FPST was validated by direct comparison of responses to strip reproductions with responses to the original flight progress strips. Validity was high; Kappa=. 91. The light point stimuli of the ALT were validated physically with a spectroradiometer. The test lights met the FAA and ICAO standards for colors of aircraft and aviation signal lights. The reliabilities of the FPST and ALT were estimated with Chronbach's alpha and were .93 and .98, respectively. The high job-relevance, validity, and reliability of these tests increases the effectiveness and fairness of ATCS color vision testing.