RT journal article
T1 Ventaja Estratégica en el Cielo. Experiencia en Juegos y Eficiencia Operativa: Revelando la Menor Carga de Trabajo Percibida y los Posibles Beneficios de los Jugadores Como Pilotos de Drones
A1 Ramallo Luna, Miguel Ángel
A1 González de la Torre Muñoz, Sara
A1 Nuñez Molleda, José Manuel
A1 González de la Torre Benítez, Gabriel
A2 Psicología
K1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
K1 Workload perception
K1 Drons
K1 Flight simulators
K1 Human factors
K1 Videogame
K1 Vehículo aéreo no tripulado
K1 Carga de trabajo
K1 Drones
K1 Simulador de vuelo
K1 Factor humano
K1 Videojuegos
AB Background. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) play a crucial role in modern military and civilian operations, requiring peak cognitive performance from their pilots. Drone pilots often experience attention lapses and performance reductions, which can jeopardize mission success, task performance, and their well-being. Existing research shows that video game players outperform non-gamers in certain cognitive abilities, such as visual tracking, attention, and mental rotation. This study explores how video game experience may shape the skills and workload perception of potential UAV pilots. Method. A pilot study was conducted with two groups: gamers (n = 22) and non-gamers (n= 29). Participants carried out simulated drone flight tasks using a Phantom 3 on the Aerosim RC simulator. Performance and workload were assessed using the AWT, a test derived from the NASA-TLX. Results. Significant differences were found between gamers and non-gamers in both performance and workload. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed that gamers completed the simulated flight tasks in less time (z = -4.168, p < .01) and made fewer errors (z = -4.690, p < .01) compared to non-gamers. Additionally, gamers reported significantly lower workload across all variables measured by the AWT. Discussion. The findings suggest that video game experience enhances drone piloting performance and reduces perceived workload. These results have implications for refining training and selection protocols for UAV pilots in both military and civilian contexts. Incorporating gaming-based assessments into the training process could provide a promising avenue to enhance UAV operator capabilities and mission success.
PB Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Andalucía Occidental
SN 0213-3334
YR 2025
FD 2025-06-11
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38529
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38529
LA spa
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 21-sep-2026