Description of the Questionnaire

The NAHFQ (Naval Aviator Human Factors Questionnaire) is an assessment tool designed to evaluate attitudes related to the team skills required for safe and effective performance in operational environments. It was developed by modifying the Cockpit Management Attitude Questionnaire (CMAQ), specifically tailored to meet the needs of the naval context. It consists of 31 items divided into five thematic categories: “My stress” with six items, “Stress of others” with six items, “Communication” with six items, “Command responsibility” with nine items, and “Rules and order” with four items (which were excluded due to low reliability).

Data Analysis and Use

During psychometric analysis, a total of nine items were removed due to excessive skewness, high kurtosis, and low factor reliability. Three additional items were discarded during the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The subscales showed relatively low Cronbach’s alpha values, which is typical for this type of instrument. The reliability of each subscale was assessed, and the “Rules and order” subscale was excluded due to insufficient reliability. The questionnaire data can be used for comparative analyses across different populations or time periods, as well as for evaluating the effectiveness of training interventions related to teamwork and communication.

Purpose

The main purpose of the questionnaire is to assess personnel attitudes toward collaboration and teamwork skills required for safe and effective performance. It is primarily used within the context of Crew Resource Management (CRM) programs and aims to promote a culture of safety, effective communication, and mutual support among team members operating in high-pressure operational or clinical environments.

Scoring

Participants are asked to respond using a five-point Likert scale: A (Strongly disagree), B (Slightly disagree), C (Neutral), D (Slightly agree), E (Strongly agree). For the final question, which addresses how frequently junior team members are afraid to express disagreement with senior personnel, a five-point frequency scale is used: Very frequently, Frequently, Sometimes, Seldom, Very seldom. Responses can be numerically coded for statistical analysis, allowing for the calculation of aggregate scores for each subscale.

References

The questionnaire was developed by O’Connor, Jones, McCauley, and Buttrey. Key references include: O’Connor, P., Jones, D., McCauley, M., & Buttrey, S. (2012). An evaluation of the effectiveness of the U.S Navy’s crew resource management program. International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 1(1), 21–40. Also: O’Connor, P. & Jones, D. (2009, September). The crew resource management attitudes of U.S. Naval aviators. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Conference, San Antonio, TX.