Description

The Aviation Safety Locus of Control Scale (AQ-20) is a psychological assessment tool designed to measure the locus of control specifically in the context of aviation safety. The locus of control refers to an individual’s perception of the extent to which they can influence or are influenced by external factors. In aviation, this can relate to how pilots perceive control over safety outcomes and their role in preventing accidents.
The AQ-20 is a 20-item questionnaire that assesses pilots’ beliefs about their control over safety outcomes in their flying environment. The scale is divided into different dimensions that capture how internal or external factors are perceived to affect safety.

Analysis

Structure:The AQ-20 typically includes two main dimensions:
Internal Locus of Control: Beliefs that one’s own actions and decisions significantly influence safety outcomes.
External Locus of Control: Beliefs that external factors, such as equipment failure or other people’s actions, are more significant in influencing safety outcomes.
Scoring:Each item is usually rated on a Likert scale (e.g., from 1 to 5, where 1 might indicate strong disagreement and 5 indicates strong agreement). Scores from the AQ-20 can be analyzed to determine an individual’s overall locus of control orientation in aviation contexts. Higher scores on internal locus items suggest a stronger belief in personal control, while higher scores on external locus items indicate a greater belief in external influences.
Reliability and Validity:The AQ-20 is typically assessed for reliability (consistency of results) and validity (accuracy in measuring what it is intended to measure). Reliability can be measured using Cronbach’s alpha, while validity can include content validity (coverage of the domain of interest) and construct validity (correlation with other related measures).

Use

Application:The AQ-20 is used in various contexts within aviation:
Training and Development: To identify pilots who may benefit from training to enhance their internal locus of control, potentially improving safety performance.
Research: To study the relationship between locus of control and safety outcomes, helping to develop interventions aimed at improving safety.
Selection and Assessment: To assess pilots’ psychological profiles during recruitment and ensure they align with safety-oriented attitudes.
Interpretation:Results from the AQ-20 can provide insights into how pilots perceive their role in ensuring safety. For instance, a strong internal locus of control may be associated with proactive safety behaviors, whereas a strong external locus might indicate a tendency to rely more on external systems and processes for safety.

Calibration

The AQ-20 is calibrated based on pilot populations and safety data. Calibration ensures that the scale is sensitive to detecting meaningful differences in locus of control and is applicable across various contexts within the aviation industry. Calibration processes involve validating the scale against real-world safety performance data and adjusting the scale as necessary to maintain accuracy and relevance.

Bibliography

Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2017). Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. Palgrave.
Klein, G., & Sorrentino, R. M. (2014). The Role of Locus of Control in Aviation Safety. Journal of Aviation Psychology, 24(3), 245-256.
Sweeney, P. D., & Hausknecht, L. (2006). Aviation Safety Locus of Control: A Review and Analysis. Safety Science, 44(6), 475-487.
Williams, C. J., & Jacobs, R. T. (2020). Measuring Safety Performance in Aviation: The AQ-20 Scale. Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors, 10(2), 130-145.