(May 6, 2013)

The book "Misunderstandings in ATC Communication: Language, Cognition, and Experimental Methodology" by Dr. Immanuel Barshi (Human Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames Research Center) and Candace Farris (doctoral candiate at McGill University) was just published by Ashgate Publishing. Effective radio communication between ATC and pilots has long been recognized as an important element of aviation safety. In recognition of the role miscommunications play in aviation incidents and accidents, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recently introduced language proficiency requirements for all flight personnel in all ICAO member states. Using an effective and economical experimental paradigm, the research described in this book teases apart the complex combination of factors (e.g. speech rate, controller message length, English language proficiency, cognitive workload) believed to contribute to miscommunications between pilots and air traffic controllers. Misunderstandings in ATC Communication offers an in-depth report of a seminal study in aviation communication, and offers a recent extension of that work, the authors' reflections on the research process, and a thorough review of the aviation communication literature. Graduate students and any researcher who wishes to address real-world problems will appreciate the simple elegance of the experimental paradigm that has been used to address a wide range of theoretical and applied interdisciplinary research questions. Reference: Barshi, I., Farris, C. (2013). Misunderstandings in ATC Communication: Language, Cognition, and Experimental Methodology. Burlington, VT: Ashgate.