Development of a Cognitive Resilience Model in the Aviation Industry: Dimensions, Categories, and Themes

Authors
dariush malekpour
Abolghasem Naderi
hassan mahjub
Mitra Ezzati
University of Tehran
Abstract
The study aimed to explain and design a theoretical model of pilots' operational cognitive resilience in the military aviation industry, a concept referring to the mechanism of maintaining, recovering, and readjusting executive functions and the mind's information processing system when faced with acute stress and operational constraints of flight. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and based on the grounded theory strategy (Strauss and Corbin's version, 1998). The required data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 experts in the field of cognitive sciences and senior operational pilots (with a history of over 2000 flight hours); the sampling process continued using a theoretical approach until achieving conceptual saturation. Data analysis was carried out through a systematic coding process in three stages: open, axial, and selective coding.

Qualitative analyses revealed that the core phenomenon of this study was pilots' operational cognitive resilience, which was explained as a dynamic, multidimensional, and context-bound construct. This conceptual construct was considered the product of a synergistic and systematic interaction among three major dimensions: the individual dimension (including basic and higher cognitive functions, executive inhibition, emotional-motivational components, personality patterns, physical stability, and implicit memory resulting from flight experience), the organizational dimension (comprising team tasks and the promotion of a safety culture), and the family dimension (as a source of emotional and psychological support). The fundamental achievement of this research was providing a coherent conceptual framework for analyzing pilots' cognitive behaviors under crisis conditions, which can serve as an analytical foundation for developing future applied interventions and empirical research in this domain.
Keywords
Operational Cognitive Resilience
Military Pilots
Military Aviation
Grounded theory
Flight Safety
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