Effects of mindfulness training on decision-making in critical and high-demand situations: A pilot study in combat aviation

•We investigated the effects of a mindfulness-based training program (Attentional Regulation Optimization-ARO) on decision-making in an elite population operating in a highly-demanding context, namely that of fighter pilots in critical flight that lead to ejection. Our hypothesis was that mindfulness skills and decision-making would improve in pilots who participated in the program (n = 7), compared to a control group (n = 8). Mindfulness skills were measured with the FFMQ-15. Decision-making was evaluated in tests implemented in scenarios in a full flight simulator. Five VD were assessed, corresponding to the decision-making process when faced with an in-flight failure: reaction time after first failure, correctness of the first action, emergency procedure score, ejection procedure score, quality of ejection. We found no significant improvement in mindfulness skills for the ARO group compared to the control group. Reaction time was significantly shortened for the ARO group but only for complex failures. We found a positive effect on the correctness of the first action. ARO training had no significant effect on the downstream phases of decision-making (emergency procedure score, ejection procedure score and quality of ejection). Given the small sample size, our results must be considered with caution. But they open up interesting avenues for future work, with regard to the benefits of mindfulness training on perceptual and attentional skills (to detect flight failure cues) and cognitive control skills (to diagnose and select appropriate procedures). From an operational perspective, the program has beneficial effects on safety and performance in elite populations who must face critical situations.