The impact of safety factors on decision-making in maritime navigation

Xue, Hui; Røds, Johan-Fredrik; Batalden, Bjørn-Morten · 2023 · Crossref

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1003950

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Summary

This study investigates how safety factors and environmental complexity influence decision-making processes in maritime navigation. Motivated by the fact that approximately 85% of maritime accidents stem from human error during navigation, the research aims to objectively assess how stress and workload impact navigational choices. The authors seek to determine how safety factors affect the decisions of maritime students and which decision-making models best explain their behavior under varying conditions. The experiment involved 22 nautical science students who performed navigation tasks on a full-mission ship bridge simulator. The study utilized two distinct scenarios: a control scenario with fair weather and six events, and an experimental scenario featuring snowy weather, fog, and ten events, including equipment failures like GPS and gyro malfunctions. Participants were divided into groups to control for order effects, with some performing easy scenarios twice and others alternating between easy and complex trials. Workload and stress were measured using the NASA-TLX rating system, which evaluates mental, physical, and temporal demands. Objective performance was assessed by measuring the deviation from the planned route. Results indicated a significant difference in perceived workload between the two scenarios. Participants reported a significantly higher workload in the complex experimental task (mean score 29.36) compared to the control task (mean score 19.99), with a large effect size. A moderate negative correlation was found between perceived workload and performance scores, indicating that higher stress levels were associated with lower performance ratings. Crucially, the analysis of route deviation revealed that students prioritized safety differently based on scenario complexity. In the easy scenario, students allowed greater deviations from the planned route, treating the deviation as a manageable risk. In contrast, during the complex scenario, students strictly adhered to the planned route, correcting deviations immediately to minimize risk. The findings suggest that decision-making models shift based on situational complexity. In low-stress environments, students employed creative decision-making, prioritizing task completion over strict adherence to safety margins. In high-stress, complex environments, they reverted to rule-based decision-making, viewing the planned route as the safest option and reducing acceptable safety margins. The study concludes that safety factors significantly influence decision-making, with students acting more conservatively under stress. These insights imply that maritime training programs should incorporate varied complexity levels to help students develop adaptive decision-making skills, ensuring they can balance efficiency and safety across different operational conditions.

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• decision making risk perception