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B. Human Behavior and Effective Communication

I. B: Human Behavior and Effective Communication

1. Human Behavior

A. Control of Human Behavior

• The instructor directs and controls the behavior of the students and guides them toward a goal
• The relationship between the instructor and the students has a profound impact on how much they learn. To students, the instructor is a symbol of authority
• Students expect the instructor to exercise certain controls, and they recognize and submit to authority as a valid means of control
• The instructor should create an environment that enables students to help themselves

B. Human Needs

C. Defense Mechanisms

Defense mechanisms: subconscious, almost automatic, ego-protecting reactions to unpleasant situations

D. The Flight Instructor as a practical psychologist

Flight Instructors must be able to evaluate student's personality to effectively develop and use techniques appropriate for instruction. Students feel many different emotions, and it's the instructor's duty to react in a positive way to those emotions. To help aid this process, the Instructor should:

• Keep Students Motivated
• Keep Students Informed
• Approach Students as Individuals
• Give Credit When Due
• Criticize Constructively
• Be Consistent
• Admit Errors

2. Effective Communication

A. Basic Elements of Communication

Source: Sender, Speaker (As instructor you send the info in a way that will be understood by the student)
Symbols: Words, Ideas, Message (Instructors combine all possible forms of symbols to be effective)
Receiver: Listener, Student (Instructor understands that personal background influences how info is received)

B. Barriers of effective Communication

Lack of Common Experience: The greatest barrier between an instructor and a student (Knowledge, Terms, Jargon)
Confusion between the symbol and the symbolized Object: When a word is confused with what is meant to represent (same word, different meanings)
Overuse of Abstractions: Use of words that are general rather than specific (Aircraft, Airplane)
Interference: Factors outside the direct control of the instructor

• Physiological: Hearing problem
• Environmental: Noise Level
• Psychological: How Student feels

C. Developing Communication Skills

Like any other skill, communication skills must be developed. This can be done by:

• Role Playing: Experience in communication comes from actually doing it
• Instructional Communication: Instruction has taken place when the instructor has explained a particular procedure and determined that desired student response has occurred.
• Listening: Instructor should be a good listener to understand students. Instructors should teach students to listen (take notes, main ideas)
• Questioning: Good questions can determine how well the students understand.
• Instructional Enhancement: The deeper the knowledge of a particular area, the better the instructor is at transferring that information.