Using individual differences to build a common core dataset for aviation security studies

In security tasks, there is much interest in individual differences as managers have a belief that ‘choosing the right person for the job’ can have a substantial effect on system performance. This programme was aimed at finding a common set of variables to characterise individual differences in performance of security inspection tasks. As part of this effort, an Access− database was created for studies related to inspection. Each study consists of independent variables (factors), dependent variables (measures) and occasionally covariates. Despite reasonably large and consistent individual differences, developing tests that predict inspection performance reliably has proven difficult. Also, individual performance across similar tasks, e.g. inspecting different parts of an aircraft fuselage, is not consistent so that different tasks may have different individual correlates (Wang, M.J. and Drury, C.G., 1989. A method of evaluating inspectors’ performance differences and job requirements. Applied Ergonomics, 20 (3), 181–190). Despite these caveats, there are worthwhile findings in individual differences in inspection. This paper reviews measurement of inspection tasks and the findings on individual differences to make recommendations for a core set of measures common to future studies of security inspection. These recommendations also apply to inspection tasks beyond security, as that is where much of the evidence originated.