2006 Novemmber, 25 th Carmen Prenn

Effects of Individual Critical SituationsEffects of Individual Critical Situations on psychological and biochemical on psychological and biochemical

Variables in Air Traffic Controllers Variables in Air Traffic Controllers

2006 Novemmber, 25th Carmen Prenn

Aims of the study

Do Individual Critical Situation(s) affect cortisol gradient parameters during the workday?

Is there a difference in subjective parameters depending on the occurrence of Individual Critical Situation(s) during the workday?

Do cortisol gradient parameters reflect recovery during the subsequent 3 days after the occurrence of Individual Critical Situation(s) ?

____________________ 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 ____________________________ 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 ______________ ______________ 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 ____________________________ 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 ____________________________ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ____________________________

____________________ 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 ____________________________ 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 ____________________________ 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 ____________________________ 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 ____________________________ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ___________________________

____________________ 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 ____________________________ 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 ____________________________ 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 ____________________________ 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 ____________________________ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

___________________ _________ 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 ____________________________ 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 ____________________________ 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 ____________________________ 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 ____________________________ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 ____________________________

1. Hatten Sie heute eine Situation, die Sie über Routine hinaus belastet hat?

(zutreffendes bitte ankreuzen)

ja nein Wenn ja:

2. Wie weit war die Situation von einer Routine-Situation entfernt?

Bitte schätzen Sie die Situation auf folgender Skala ein:

Critical Incident

nahe am Critical Incident

starke Abweichung von Routine-Situation

Abweichung von Routine –Situation

leichte Abweichung von Routine-Situation

Routine-Situation

Individual Critical Situation (ICS) Rating

(Kallus, Hoffmann, Prenn, Winkler, Kohlberger, 2005)

salivary cortisol concentration (µg/dL)

day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4

t1 1

t1 2

t1 3

t1 4

t1 5

t1 6

t2 1

t2 4

t2 6

t3 1

t3 4

t3 6

t4 1

t4 4

t4 6

Individual Critical Situation

yes7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 Σn = 7

Individual Critical Situation

no24 24 24 24 24 24 Σn = 24

Σn=31 Σn=7

Design for biochemical variable cortisol

t x 1… awakening valuet x 2…morning value (6:30 – 7:00)t x 3…noon value (11:30 – 12:30)t x 4…afternoon value (15:00 – 16:00)t x 5…evening value (18:00 – 19:00)

t x 6…night value (21:30 – 22:30)

Design for psychological variables

DV2 mood state

DV3 physical condition

day 1

t 1 before work t 2 after work

Individual Critical Situation – yes

10 10 Σn = 10

Individual Critical Situation – no

43 43 Σn = 43

Σn=53 Σn=53

Individual Critical Incident no

Individual Critical Incident yes

M SD M SD group

gender 0.14 0.35 0.20 0.42F(1,51)=0.22

p=.638

age (years) 32.09 5.73 33.80 5.75F(1,51)=0.72

p=.401

height (cm) 179.58 7.28 177.60 8.29F(1,51)=0.75

p=.453

weight (kg) 79.77 13.09 78.50 8.45F(1,51)=0.08

p=.772

Test procedure - DAY 1

t1 cortisol awakening value

demographical data questionnaireMKSLBSKE

t2 cortisol morning value 6:30 – 7:00t3 cortisol noon value 11:30 – 12:30t4 cortisol afternoon value 15:00 – 16:00t5 cortisol evening value 18:00 – 19:00t6 cortisol night value 21:30 – 22:30

Individual Critical Situation (ICS) Rating MKSL BSKE

at home

before work ~ 30 min

after work ~ 30 min

start of shift

end of shift

time

Results salivary cortisol concentrations DAY 1

Salivary cortisol concentration

(µg/dL) – DAY 1

Individual Critical

Situation – noN=24

Individual Critical

Situation - yesN=7

M SD M SDgroup

(ICS yes/no)

time group * time

awakening 0.59 0.28 0.60 0.35 F(1,29) = 4.47

p=.043*

F(2.88,83.74)= 52.04

p=.001***

F(2.88,83.74) = 2.18

p=.099(*)morning 1.22 0.41 1.71 0.80

noon 0.64 0.26 0.80 0.28

afternoon 0.56 0.25 0.63 0.25

evening 0.37 0.21 0.45 0.13

night 0.19 0.15 0.28 0.10

Results salivary cortisol concentrations DAY 1

Cortisol concentrations on DAY 2 to 4 after Individual Critical Situation

Salivary cortisol concentration (µg/dL)

M SD N

DAY 2

awakening 1.22 0.48 7

afternoon 0.41 0.17 7

night 0.29 0.28 7

DAY 3



night 0.21 0.08 7

DAY 4



night 0.31 0.14 7

Salivary cortisol concentrations on 4 subsequent days

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0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

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1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

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µg

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Individual Critical Situation yes Individual Critical Situation no

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3 DAY 4

subtest group time group * time

“general wellbeing”F(1,51)=1.70

p=.142(-)F(1,51)=2.23

p=.142(-)F(1,51)=0.07

p=.796

“performance related activation”

F(1,51)=3.13p=.082(*)

F(1,51)=0.02p=.900

F(1,51)=0.77p=.384

“anger”F(1,51)=1.26

p=.266F(1,51)=1.40

p=.243F(1,51)=0.07

p=.796

“anxiety/depression”F(1,51)=1.88

p=.176(-)F(1,51)=0.84

p=.364F(1,51)=0.00

p=.983

“general disactivation”F(1,51)=1.30

p=.259F(1,51)=0.06

p=.805F(1,51)=3.63

p=.062(*)

“extraversion”F(1,51)=0.77

p=.383F(1,51)=0.23

p=.632F(1,51)=1.12

p=.296

“physical discomfort”F(1,51)=0.00

p=.971F(1,51)=1.56

p=.217F(1,51)=4.04

p=.050*

Results BSKE (mood state)

Individual differences in mood state are evidently important factors

• Reduced performance related activation in group

with ICS

• Increased general disactivation before work in

group with ICS

• Increased physical discomfort after work in group

with ICS

Results BSKE (mood state)

subtest group time group * time

“adrenergic physical symptoms”

F(1,51)=1.19p=.280

F(1,51)=3.02p=.088(*)

F(1,51)=0.04p=.835

“cholinergic physical symptoms”

F(1,51)=0.01p=.915

F(1,51)=0.00p=.947

F(1,51)=0.38p=.540

“physical relaxation”F(1,51)=1.94

p=.170(-)F(1,51)=9.27

p=.004**F(1,51)=1.24

p=.271

“pain”F(1,51)=0.10

p=.748F(1,51)=0.40

p=.530F(1,51)=0.175

p=.678

“nausea”F(1,51)=2.14

p=.150(-)F(1,51)=2.61

p=.112(-)F(1,51)=7.96

p=.007**

“palpitation”F(1,51)=6.23

p=.016*F(1,51)=1.56

p=.217F(1,51)=1.24

p=.271

”subjective perception of having difficulties to

breath”

F(1,51)=0.54p=.464

F(1,51)=3.18p=.080(*)

F(1,51)=8.21p=.006**

Results MKSL (physical condition)

Individual differences in physical condition are evidently

important factors

• More intense palpitation of the heart in group with ICS

• Increased subjective feeling of nausea after work in group with ICS

• Increased subjective perception of having difficulties to breath before work in group with ICS

Results MKSL (physical condition)

Summary and Interpretation

• Controllers with Individual Critical Situation(s) show increased salivary cortisol levels on all six sampling points during the day

• The circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion is reproduced and represented by a peak in morning values and a continuous decrease until night value

• A statistically significant increase in salivary cortisol is reflected in the morning values (6:30 to 7:00) by persons with Individual Critical Situation(s)


• Elevated salivary cortisol concentrations before work reflect a probability increase to experience Individual Critical Situation(s) on that work day

• Maybe controllers show a stress reaction in advance based on their experience because they anticipate stressful traffic conditions


• On the following 3 days after Individual Critical Situation(s) the awakening values are increased and reflect incomplete recovery

Cortisol of air traffic controllersbefore and after a major organisational change

0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

3,0

Aufwachwert Frühwert Mittagswert Nachmittagswert Abendwert Nachtwert

µg

/dL

vor Change t1 (N = 17) nach Change t2 (N = 17)

Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!

2006 Novemmber, 25 th Carmen Prenn

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