"The fox who longed for grapes, beholds with pain
The tempting clusters were too high to gain;
Greived in his heart he forced a careless smile,
And cried,"They're sharp and hardly worth my while."
- Aphra Behn c.1687
Remember that fable? Well that is a classic example of cognitive dissonance. We know the essence of the fable. He wanted the grapes but he could not reach them so he left. Then he justified leaving the grapes behind by the reasoning that the grapes were not good. This belief conflicted with his initial belief and that is what my psychological counterparts call cognitive dissonance.
Today, we are going to look at an application of this dissonance in ATC. It is called Emotional Dissonance or EMDI.
EMDI is the conflict that an ATCO feels between her emotions while at work. For an ATCO must remain calm at all times. EMDI is also fuelled by stressors in ATC. What are some stressors in Air Traffic Control? How can an ATCO experience EMDI? What are the implications for safety in ATC performance?
