Journals / Havacılık ve Uzay Çalışmaları Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 6 Sayı: 2

Burnout and decision-making from the perspective of pilot students

Pilot öğrenciler açısından tükenmişlik ve karar verme

Aysel Merve Kuş(istanbul esenyurt üniversitesi)0009-0004-4184-9470
Sezer Cihan Günaydın(İstanbul gelişim üniversitesi)0000-0003-3108-8247
Pages
158–172
Publication Date
2026-08-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings revealed that burnout levels were negatively and significantly associated with rational and intuitive decision-making styles, and positively and significantly associated with avoidant, spontaneous, and dependent decision-making styles.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:The aviation industry is a critical component of global economy and transportation systems, and flight safety is directly associated with the safety of passengers, crew members, and aviation personnel.
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Key Findings & Data:At the center of this safety-oriented structure are pilots, who are expected to make accurate and timely decisions during every phase of flight.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings revealed that burnout levels were negatively and significantly associated with rational and intuitive decision-making styles, and positively and significantly associated with avoidant, spontaneous, and dependent decision-making styles.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Pilot Lisansı Eğitimi · Karar Verme Stilleri · Tükenmişlik.

Abstract

The aviation industry is a critical component of global economy and transportation systems, and flight safety is directly associated with the safety of passengers, crew members, and aviation personnel. At the center of this safety-oriented structure are pilots, who are expected to make accurate and timely decisions during every phase of flight. However, intense stress, workload, and burnout experienced during pilot training may impair students’ decision-making processes and create risks for flight safety. This study aims to examine the relationships between burnout levels and in-flight decision-making styles among pilot students. Designed as a correlational survey study, the research collected data through questionnaires from 335 pilot students receiving training in Istanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir, and Samsun. Since the normality assumption was not met, the data were analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis, Kruskal-Wallis H tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests. The findings revealed that burnout levels were negatively and significantly associated with rational and intuitive decision-making styles, and positively and significantly associated with avoidant, spontaneous, and dependent decision-making styles. Significant differences were also found in decision-making styles according to burnout levels and in several burnout and decision-making dimensions according to demographic variables. The results indicate that integrating psychological resilience training, stress management practices, and burnout-prevention interventions into pilot training programs is important for improving decision quality and supporting flight safety.

Özet

Havacılık sektörü, küresel ekonomi ve ulaşım sistemlerinin kritik bir bileşeni olup uçuş emniyeti; yolcuların, mürettebatın ve havacılık personelinin güvenliğiyle doğrudan ilişkilidir. Bu emniyetli yapının merkezinde, uçuşun her aşamasında hızlı ve doğru kararlar alması beklenen pilotlar yer almaktadır. Ancak pilotaj eğitimi sürecinde karşılaşılan yoğun stres, iş yükü ve tükenmişlik, öğrencilerin karar verme süreçlerini olumsuz etkileyerek uçuş emniyeti açısından risk oluşturabilmektedir. Bu çalışma, pilotaj öğrencilerinde tükenmişlik düzeyleri ile uçuşta karar verme stilleri arasındaki ilişkileri incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. İlişkisel tarama modelinde yürütülen araştırmanın verileri İstanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir ve Samsun illerinde eğitim gören 335 pilotaj öğrencisinden anket yöntemiyle toplanmıştır. Katılımcıların tükenmişlik düzeyleri Maslach Tükenmişlik Ölçeği, karar verme stilleri ise General Decision-Making Styles ölçeğinin Türkçe uyarlaması aracılığıyla ölçülmüştür. Veriler, normallik varsayımı sağlanmadığı için Spearman korelasyon analizi, Kruskal-Wallis H ve Mann-Whitney U testleriyle değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular, tükenmişlik düzeyinin rasyonel ve sezgisel karar verme stilleriyle negatif; kaçıngan, anlık ve bağımlı karar verme stilleriyle pozitif yönde anlamlı ilişkiler gösterdiğini ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca tükenmişlik düzeyine göre karar verme stillerinde ve bazı demografik değişkenlere göre tükenmişlik ile karar verme boyutlarında anlamlı farklılıklar saptanmıştır. Sonuçlar, pilotaj eğitiminde psikolojik dayanıklılığı artıran, stres yönetimini destekleyen ve tükenmişliği önleyici uygulamaların karar kalitesi ve uçuş emniyeti açısından önem taşıdığını; bu nedenle eğitim programlarının insan faktörleri yaklaşımıyla yeniden yapılandırılması gerektiğini göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Kuş, A. M., Günaydın, S. C. (2026). Burnout and decision-making from the perspective of pilot students. Havacılık ve Uzay Çalışmaları Dergisi, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 2, 158–172. https://doi.org/10.52995/jass.1869763

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