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EASA Module 8 study materials
EASA Module 8 study resources

EASA Module 8 practice questions

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Question 1General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Which statement best defines the scope of human factors in aircraft maintenance?

  1. It is limited to aircraft design changes that reduce the maintenance workload.
  2. It deals with the physical ergonomics of maintenance work and nothing else.
  3. It covers only the licensing, training records and certification of maintenance engineers.
  4. It studies how human capability and limitation interact with the maintenance environment. Correct answer.

Explanation

Human factors examines people at work: their capabilities and limitations, and how these interact with hardware, software, the environment and other people. It therefore spans tasks, procedures, tools, training, communication and organisation, not just physical ergonomics or licensing paperwork.

Question 2General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Murphy's law is usually stated as:

  1. Nothing fails until the last possible moment.
  2. Anything that has gone wrong once will go wrong again.
  3. The probability of failure rises as the cost of the task falls.
  4. If something can go wrong, it will. Correct answer.

Explanation

Murphy's law expresses the practical expectation that anything which can be done wrongly, or can fail, eventually will be done wrongly or will fail. In maintenance it is used to justify designing tasks and components so that errors are prevented or made obvious rather than relied on not to happen.

Question 3General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

In maintenance practice, the practical lesson drawn from Murphy's law is that:

  1. supervisors should check every task performed by hand.
  2. procedures should be written so that a mistake is detected only after the task is signed off.
  3. parts should be designed so that incorrect assembly is physically impossible. Correct answer.
  4. engineers should be disciplined after any error they make.

Explanation

Because anything that can be assembled wrongly will eventually be assembled wrongly, the effective response is error-proofing at the design and task level. Making wrong assembly physically impossible, or immediately obvious, removes the dependence on human vigilance.

Question 4General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

In safety reporting, an incident is:

  1. a defect found during a scheduled inspection that remains within the manual limits
  2. any event that results in death, serious injury or substantial damage to the aircraft
  3. an occurrence, other than an accident, that affects or could affect safety Correct answer.
  4. any departure delay of more than one hour caused by a maintenance problem

Explanation

An incident is an occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operation. Accidents are the separate, more severe category involving death, serious injury or substantial aircraft damage.

Question 5General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Accident statistics show that the largest single contributor to aviation accidents is:

  1. failure of air traffic control radar.
  2. structural fatigue of the airframe.
  3. adverse weather at the destination.
  4. human performance, including maintenance error. Correct answer.

Explanation

The great majority of accidents, typically put at around three-quarters or more, involve human performance as a contributing factor. This includes flight crew, air traffic control and maintenance and inspection error, which is why human factors receives such emphasis in maintenance training.

Question 6General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Which of the following is one of the 'Dirty Dozen' human factors commonly cited in maintenance error?

  1. Incorrect technical documentation
  2. Complacency Correct answer.
  3. Inadequate lighting in the hangar
  4. Lack of tooling calibration records

Explanation

The Dirty Dozen is a list of twelve recurring human factors in maintenance, including complacency, lack of communication, lack of knowledge, distraction, fatigue, pressure, stress, lack of teamwork, lack of resources, lack of assertiveness, lack of awareness and norms. Complacency is one of the named items.

Question 7General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

In Reason's 'Swiss cheese' model, the holes in the slices of cheese represent:

  1. the weaknesses that can line up to breach the defences. Correct answer.
  2. the number of maintenance staff on shift.
  3. the additional checks that are built into the approved maintenance programme
  4. the accidents that have already occurred.

Explanation

Each slice is a layer of defence, and the holes are weaknesses such as latent conditions and active failures. An accident occurs when holes in successive layers line up so that a hazard passes through every defence.

Question 8General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

An engineer follows the correct procedure but forgets to fit a locking wire after torquing a nut. In Reason's classification this is best described as:

  1. a violation.
  2. a rule-based mistake.
  3. a knowledge-based mistake.
  4. a lapse. Correct answer.

Explanation

The intention was correct and the procedure was known, but a step was omitted from memory during a routine task. Memory failures of this kind, in which a planned action is not carried out, are classified as lapses.

Question 9General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

An engineer intends to select a 3/8 inch socket but picks up a 7/16 inch socket of similar appearance. This is:

  1. a knowledge-based mistake.
  2. a violation.
  3. a lapse.
  4. a slip. Correct answer.

Explanation

A slip is an error of action in which the intention was correct but the action executed was not the one intended. Selecting a similar-looking but wrong item is the classic attention-based slip.

Question 10General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

A routine violation is one that:

  1. is committed by an individual without any warning or precedent.
  2. arises when the procedure is unknown to the person involved.
  3. has become accepted practice within the work group. Correct answer.
  4. is always the result of a deliberate intention to cause damage.

Explanation

Routine violations are deviations that have become the normal way of working, often sanctioned by group norms and sometimes by supervision. They are distinguished from exceptional violations, which are rare, one-off departures from normally compliant behaviour.

Question 11General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

In the SHEL model, the central 'L' represents:

  1. the licensing authority.
  2. the logistic support system.
  3. the human being at the centre of the system. Correct answer.
  4. the line maintenance manager.

Explanation

SHEL stands for Software, Hardware, Environment and Liveware, with the human being placed at the centre. The model is used to examine the interfaces between that central liveware and the other four elements.

Question 12General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

An experienced engineer encounters a fault not covered in the manual and has to reason from first principles to find a solution. According to Rasmussen's framework this is:

  1. skill-based behaviour.
  2. knowledge-based behaviour. Correct answer.
  3. routine violation.
  4. rule-based behaviour.

Explanation

Rasmussen's SRK framework distinguishes skill-based behaviour, which is automatic and highly practised, rule-based behaviour, which applies stored procedures, and knowledge-based behaviour, which is used to reason through unfamiliar situations. Reasoning from first principles is therefore knowledge-based.

Question 13General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Heinrich's accident pyramid suggests that:

  1. many minor incidents and near misses precede each serious accident. Correct answer.
  2. only accidents that cause injury need to be reported and investigated.
  3. serious accidents generally occur without any preceding minor events or near misses.
  4. the ratio of accidents to incidents is the same in every industry.

Explanation

Heinrich proposed that a large number of no-injury incidents and near misses occur beneath each serious accident, commonly quoted as roughly 300 to 29 to 1. The practical consequence is that reporting and correcting minor events reduces the likelihood of the serious ones.

Question 14General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

In modern safety thinking, 'human error' is best regarded as:

  1. a personal failing that should be corrected by disciplinary action against the individual.
  2. a consequence of deeper weaknesses in the system rather than a cause. Correct answer.
  3. the primary cause to be recorded in every occurrence report.
  4. a random event that cannot be influenced by the organisation.

Explanation

Contemporary safety theory treats error as a symptom of underlying conditions such as poor design, unrealistic procedures, time pressure and organisational decisions. Labelling the person as the cause stops the investigation before the real weaknesses are found and corrected.

Question 15General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

A 'just culture' within a maintenance organisation means that:

  1. no error is ever investigated or recorded by the safety department.
  2. every error is punished so as to discourage repetition.
  3. accountability is limited to the accountable manager and the quality department.
  4. honest errors are not punished but reckless behaviour is still sanctioned. Correct answer.

Explanation

A just culture draws a line between unintended error, which should be reported and learned from, and unacceptable behaviour such as recklessness or deliberate violation, which is still subject to sanction. This balance is what makes open reporting possible.

Question 16General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

The Dirty Dozen item 'norms' refers to:

  1. the behaviour expected by the company quality department.
  2. the calibrated limits stated in the maintenance manual.
  3. the unwritten rules a work group develops over time. Correct answer.
  4. the written standards that are published by the airworthiness authority.

Explanation

Norms are the informal, unwritten rules of behaviour that a group adopts, for example about how much pressure is acceptable or how thoroughly a task is normally done. When those norms differ from the approved procedures, they can drive routine violations.

Question 17General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

'Poka-yoke', or error-proofing, is a design approach that:

  1. relies on the engineer's memory of the procedure.
  2. makes incorrect assembly impossible or immediately obvious. Correct answer.
  3. adds an extra inspection step after each task.
  4. increases the speed of the maintenance task.

Explanation

Error-proofing designs the task or component so that a wrong action cannot be carried out, or so that it is evident at once. Asymmetric connectors and keyed fittings are everyday examples in maintenance.

Question 18General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Under EASA Part-145, human factors training is required because:

  1. it replaces the need for type training on the aircraft.
  2. it is only required for certifying staff, not for support staff.
  3. staff competence must include human performance and limitations. Correct answer.
  4. it is a voluntary initiative with no regulatory basis.

Explanation

Part-145 requires the organisation to ensure that personnel involved in maintenance and inspection are competent, and that competence includes human performance and limitations relevant to the task. The requirement therefore has a clear regulatory basis and applies to the relevant personnel, not only to certifying staff.

Question 19General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Maintenance and inspection error is significant in accident causation mainly because:

  1. it only affects aircraft that are more than twenty years old.
  2. it may stay dormant in the aircraft until much later. Correct answer.
  3. it can be detected easily by the flight crew before departure.
  4. it always produces an immediate and obvious aircraft failure.

Explanation

A maintenance error such as an incorrect assembly or a missing item may lie undetected through several flights and only manifest when the affected system is used or when a second factor combines with it. This latency makes such errors difficult to catch and gives them a long exposure window.

Question 20General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Which of the following is a typical consequence of human error in maintenance?

  1. A guaranteed reduction in future errors.
  2. Improved aircraft reliability.
  3. Reduced need for duplicate inspections.
  4. Delays, aircraft damage and additional cost to the operator. Correct answer.

Explanation

Errors in maintenance cause aircraft damage, schedule delays, rework and additional cost, and in the worst case contribute to accidents. This economic and operational impact is a major reason organisations invest in human factors programmes.

Question 21General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Murphy's law originated from:

  1. a 1949 US Air Force rocket-sled research project. Correct answer.
  2. a 1950s civil aviation accident investigation report.
  3. a maintenance manual published by Boeing.
  4. an ICAO annex on safety management.

Explanation

The saying is attributed to Edward Murphy, an engineer working on a US Air Force rocket-sled instrumentation project around 1949, where a sensor was wired in reverse. It subsequently spread into engineering and safety practice as a shorthand for designing against human and equipment fallibility.

Question 22General (human factors in maintenance, incidents attributable to human factors, Murphy's law)

Which of the following is an example of a latent condition rather than an active failure?

  1. An engineer forgets to refit an access panel.
  2. A supervisor signs off a task without inspecting it.
  3. A technician installs the wrong O-ring.
  4. A roster that routinely leaves the night shift understaffed. Correct answer.

Explanation

Latent conditions are pre-existing organisational or systemic weaknesses, such as poor rostering, that lie dormant until they combine with other factors. Active failures are the unsafe acts of people at the sharp end, such as forgetting a panel or signing off without inspecting.

Question 23Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

Which type of photoreceptor in the retina is primarily responsible for vision in low light levels?

  1. Rods Correct answer.
  2. Bipolar cells
  3. Cones
  4. Ganglion cells

Explanation

Rods contain the pigment rhodopsin, which is highly sensitive to dim light, and they dominate peripheral and night vision. They give poor acuity and no colour discrimination. Cones need much higher light levels but provide sharp, coloured vision.

Question 24Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

The region of the retina that provides the highest visual acuity is:

  1. The ciliary body
  2. The fovea centralis Correct answer.
  3. The peripheral retina
  4. The optic disc

Explanation

The fovea lies at the centre of the macula and contains a dense packing of cones with almost no converging neural wiring, which gives the finest resolution. Vision is therefore sharpest when the image falls on the fovea, which is why the eyes must be directed at an object to see it clearly.

Question 25Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

Complete dark adaptation of the human eye takes approximately:

  1. Approximately 4 hours
  2. Approximately 5 minutes
  3. Approximately 30 minutes Correct answer.
  4. Approximately 30 seconds

Explanation

Cone sensitivity improves rapidly and is largely complete within about 5 to 7 minutes, but rod adaptation continues for much longer. Full rod dark adaptation is usually reached after about 30 to 40 minutes in darkness. This is why a pilot should protect night vision well before a night flight.

Question 26Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

When looking at a featureless sky or an untextured cloud layer at high altitude, the relaxed eye tends to focus at about:

  1. At about 20 metres
  2. At about 1 metre Correct answer.
  3. At about 10 centimetres
  4. At infinity

Explanation

In the absence of a distinct object to fixate, the ciliary muscle relaxes to its resting tone and the eye focuses at roughly one metre rather than at infinity. This condition is called empty-field myopia, and distant aircraft then appear blurred and are easily missed. Deliberately focusing on a distant reference helps to overcome it.

Question 27Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

A pilot staring at a single stationary light against a dark, featureless background may perceive the light to move. This illusion is known as:

  1. The somatogravic illusion
  2. The black hole effect
  3. Somatosensory vection
  4. Autokinesis Correct answer.

Explanation

Autokinesis occurs when a small, isolated light source is viewed in darkness for several seconds; without a visual frame of reference the eye's微小 movements make the light appear to drift. The pilot may then misjudge the aircraft's position relative to that light. Fixating on a reference instrument or a second light reduces the effect.

Question 28Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

On a dark night a pilot approaches a runway that has no surrounding lights or visual texture. The pilot is most likely to:

  1. See the runway lights as brighter and closer than they are and flare early
  2. Overestimate the runway width because of reduced dark adaptation
  3. Fly a lower approach because rod vision makes the runway appear nearer
  4. Fly a lower approach because the runway appears farther away and higher than it is Correct answer.

Explanation

When only the runway lights are visible, the lack of peripheral cues makes the runway seem farther away and higher than it really is. The pilot therefore descends below the correct glide path, the classic 'black hole' approach. Referencing the altimeter and glide-slope information counters the illusion.

Question 29Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

Presbyopia, the age-related loss of ability to focus on near objects, is caused by:

  1. Reduced production of tears
  2. Loss of elasticity of the crystalline lens Correct answer.
  3. Degeneration of retinal rods
  4. Increased opacity of the crystalline lens

Explanation

With age the lens becomes less elastic, so the ciliary muscle can no longer increase its curvature enough to focus on close objects. The near point therefore recedes and reading material must be held further away. Opacity of the lens is a separate condition, cataract.

Question 30Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

The most common form of colour vision deficiency affects the ability to distinguish between:

  1. Red and green Correct answer.
  2. Red and blue
  3. Black and white
  4. Blue and yellow

Explanation

Red-green deficiency is by far the most common form and is inherited as an X-linked trait, so it is much more frequent in men. It matters in aviation because colour-coded warnings, charts and approach lights may be misread. Blue-yellow defects are far rarer.

Question 31Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear cavity with:

  1. The external auditory canal
  2. The mastoid air cells
  3. The inner ear
  4. The nasopharynx Correct answer.

Explanation

The Eustachian tube runs from the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat, and normally opens during swallowing or yawning to equalise pressure across the eardrum. When it is blocked by a cold, equalisation during descent becomes difficult and ear pain or barotrauma may follow. Deliberate swallowing, yawning or a Valsalva manoeuvre helps to open it.

Question 32Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

Prolonged exposure to noise above roughly which level is generally accepted as risking permanent hearing damage?

  1. 125 dB
  2. 105 dB
  3. 55 dB
  4. 85 dB Correct answer.

Explanation

Sustained exposure at or above about 85 dB(A) over a working day is the widely used threshold for risk of noise-induced hearing loss. Risk rises steeply as level or exposure time increases, and short exposures to very high levels are also damaging. Hearing protection and exposure limits are based on this value.

Question 33Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

Noise-induced hearing loss is caused mainly by damage to:

  1. The cochlear hair cells Correct answer.
  2. The auditory ossicles
  3. The tympanic membrane
  4. The Eustachian tube

Explanation

Excessive sound energy destroys the sensory hair cells of the organ of Corti in the cochlea, and these cells do not regenerate. The loss is therefore permanent and typically begins at the higher frequencies. Damage to the eardrum or ossicles is more characteristic of blast injury or infection.

Question 34Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

Working (short-term) memory is generally able to hold approximately how many discrete items at one time?

  1. About five items
  2. About seven items Correct answer.
  3. About four items
  4. About two items

Explanation

Classic estimates put the capacity of short-term memory at about seven items, give or take two. Items are lost rapidly unless they are rehearsed or grouped, and the limit is easily exceeded by a long verbal clearance. Grouping items into chunks is the usual way of working within the limit.

Question 35Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

The visual sensory store (iconic memory) retains information for approximately:

  1. Until the end of the flight
  2. A fraction of a second Correct answer.
  3. About 2 minutes
  4. About 20 seconds

Explanation

Iconic memory is a very brief buffer that holds a literal image of the visual scene for less than a second before it decays or is transferred to short-term memory. It allows continuity of perception across eye movements and blinks. Information not attended to within that window is lost.

Question 36Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

A pilot remembers the clearance 'cleared to flight level two nine zero, direct ALPHA, squawk four two seven one' by grouping the numbers into meaningful units. This technique is called:

  1. Chunking Correct answer.
  2. Sensory adaptation
  3. Priming
  4. Habituation

Explanation

Chunking means recoding separate items into a smaller number of meaningful groups, which increases the amount of information that can be held in short-term memory. Grouping digits or using standard phraseology is a practical application of this principle. It works because the limit is on chunks rather than on individual items.

Question 37Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

The ability to follow one radio conversation while several other transmissions and cockpit sounds are present is an example of:

  1. Vigilance
  2. Selective attention Correct answer.
  3. Divided attention
  4. Habituation

Explanation

Selective attention is the process of focusing on one source of information while filtering out competing sources. It is what allows a pilot to isolate the relevant call sign among several transmissions. Because filtering is imperfect, salient or personally relevant words can still break through.

Question 38Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

During a long monitoring task in which signals occur only rarely, detection performance typically:

  1. Falls most steeply in the first 20 to 30 minutes, then levels off Correct answer.
  2. Declines steadily throughout the whole watch without levelling off
  3. Remains constant as long as the operator is motivated
  4. Improves steadily as the operator becomes practised within the watch

Explanation

The vigilance decrement is a well-established finding: detection rate drops sharply during the first 20 to 30 minutes of a monotonous watch and then stabilises at a lower level. Motivation alone does not prevent it. This is why monitoring tasks should be kept short, shared, and supported by automation or checklists.

Question 39Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

A pilot's ability to carry out two demanding tasks at the same time is limited mainly because:

  1. Dual-task performance is possible only for skills learned in childhood
  2. The brain can process an unlimited number of stimuli but only one response at a time
  3. Attention must be shared between the tasks, so performance on at least one of them deteriorates Correct answer.
  4. Divided attention improves automatically as the tasks become more difficult

Explanation

Attentional resources are finite, so when two tasks compete, capacity must be allocated between them and performance on one or both degrades. Tasks that are well learned and automatic cost less capacity and interfere less. As workload rises, priorities must be set deliberately.

Question 40Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

An experienced pilot expects to see a particular set of runway markings and reports seeing them even though different markings are actually present. This is best described as:

  1. Sensory adaptation
  2. Autokinesis
  3. Perceptual set Correct answer.
  4. Visual accommodation

Explanation

Perception is built from sensory data combined with expectations, experience and motivation, and a strong expectation forms a perceptual set. The observer then tends to interpret ambiguous input in line with that expectation, sometimes at the cost of accuracy. Standard calls and cross-checking help to break the set.

Question 41Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

A pilot used to a wide runway approaches a runway that is narrower than normal. The pilot is likely to fly:

  1. A lower approach than intended Correct answer.
  2. A steeper approach at a higher threshold speed
  3. The correct approach path
  4. A higher approach than intended

Explanation

The pilot judges height partly from the apparent size and shape of the runway, so a narrow runway looks farther away and the aircraft appears too high. The natural correction is to descend, producing a lower-than-normal approach and a risk of touching down short. Checking the glide-slope indications and the altimeter prevents this.

Question 42Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

Which of the following is the most appropriate first response when a crew member recognises the onset of claustrophobic feelings during flight?

  1. Increase workload deliberately as a distraction
  2. Keep quiet and continue the task without a break
  3. Remove the oxygen mask and open a window
  4. Control breathing, relax, and inform the other crew member Correct answer.

Explanation

Recognising the early signs and countering them with slow, controlled breathing and progressive relaxation prevents the anxiety from escalating into panic. Sharing the problem with the other crew member provides support and allows the workload to be redistributed safely. Ignoring or concealing the symptoms allows them to worsen.

Question 43Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

Cockpit exits and escape routes are sized using anthropometric data so that:

  1. Only the average-sized user can pass comfortably
  2. The largest half of the population can pass
  3. The smallest five per cent of users can pass
  4. Small and large users in the design range can pass Correct answer.

Explanation

Anthropometric design uses a range, typically from about the 5th to the 95th percentile of the user population, so that both small and large people can reach controls and evacuate. Designing only for the average would exclude a large part of the population. Where a single dimension must accommodate everyone, the limiting percentile is chosen.

Question 44Human Performance and Limitations (vision, hearing, information processing, attention and perception, memory, claustrophobia and physical access)

According to Hick's law, the time required to choose between alternative responses:

  1. Increases in direct proportion to the number of alternatives
  2. Is independent of the number of alternatives
  3. Decreases as the number of alternatives increases
  4. Increases with the logarithm of the number of alternatives Correct answer.

Explanation

Choice reaction time rises as a linear function of the logarithm of the number of alternatives, so each doubling of options adds a roughly constant amount of time. Adding options is therefore costly, but progressively less so. This is why emergency procedures use few, clearly distinct choices.

Question 45Social Psychology (responsibility, peer pressure, culture, team working, management and supervision)

Who is personally accountable for the work that they have certified before an aircraft is returned to service?

  1. The certifying staff member who signs the release Correct answer.
  2. The maintenance planning department that scheduled the work
  3. The storekeeper who issued the replacement parts
  4. The quality manager who audits the maintenance organisation

Explanation

Certification is a personal act: the person signing the certificate of release to service declares that the work has been carried out and that they are satisfied it meets the required standard. That accountability cannot be delegated to planners, auditors or stores staff.

Question 46Social Psychology (responsibility, peer pressure, culture, team working, management and supervision)

Asch's experiments on conformity demonstrated that individuals will often...

  1. Reject a group decision when they are under pressure
  2. Work noticeably harder when they are observed by others
  3. Take greater risks than they would when alone
  4. Agree with a group even when it is clearly wrong Correct answer.

Explanation

Asch found that a large proportion of subjects gave an incorrect answer that matched a unanimous majority, showing the strength of group pressure on individual judgement. The effect grows with group size and unanimity.

Question 47Social Psychology (responsibility, peer pressure, culture, team working, management and supervision)

In a culture with a high power distance, subordinates typically...

  1. Accept unequal authority and seldom question superiors Correct answer.
  2. Prefer flat organisations with shared authority
  3. Expect to be consulted on most decisions
  4. Treat managers as social equals in all matters

Explanation

Power distance describes the extent to which less powerful members accept that power is distributed unequally. In high power distance cultures deference to superiors is normal and open challenge is uncommon, which can affect how crews raise safety concerns.

Question 48Social Psychology (responsibility, peer pressure, culture, team working, management and supervision)

What distinguishes a team from a simple group of people?

  1. The members share common goals and depend on each other Correct answer.
  2. The members all hold the same technical licence
  3. The members always work in the same physical location
  4. The members report to the same line manager

Explanation

A team is defined by shared objectives, interdependence and complementary roles, not by co-location or reporting lines. Members coordinate their efforts so the combined output exceeds what they could achieve individually.

Question 49Social Psychology (responsibility, peer pressure, culture, team working, management and supervision)

'Span of control' in an organisation refers to...

  1. The number of people reporting directly to one supervisor Correct answer.
  2. The range of technical tasks a technician is authorised to do
  3. The period over which a shift supervisor is in charge
  4. The total number of staff employed by the organisation

Explanation

Span of control is a structural measure of how many subordinates a manager directly supervises. A very wide span makes adequate supervision and communication difficult, while a very narrow span wastes supervisory capacity.

Question 50Social Psychology (responsibility, peer pressure, culture, team working, management and supervision)

Diffusion of responsibility in a group means that...

  1. The group leader takes on all of the accountability
  2. Responsibility is formally written into the procedures
  3. Each member feels more personally accountable for the outcome
  4. Individuals feel less personally accountable for the outcome Correct answer.

Explanation

When many people are involved, each individual may assume that someone else will act or take the blame, so personal accountability is diluted. This is why tasks need clear ownership and unambiguous assignment.