There have been recent concerns that high workloads among air traffic controllers are linked to severe occupational burnout and emotional exhaustion. A researcher conducted a study to investigate the relationship between weekly physical exercise duration and subjective burnout levels.
The researcher obtained an opportunity sample of 10 air traffic controllers from a major international airport. Each controller provided self-report data tracking their average weekly physical exercise (in hours) over a four-week period.
Each controller also completed an online Occupational Burnout Questionnaire. This questionnaire was scored out of 80, where a higher score indicated a greater level of burnout and emotional exhaustion, while a lower score indicated stronger stress resilience and low burnout.
The raw data collected in the study are shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Weekly exercise (hours) and Burnout Index of 10 air traffic controllers
| Controller | Weekly exercise (hours) | Burnout index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.5 | 68 |
| 2 | 2.0 | 62 |
| 3 | 5.5 | 24 |
| 4 | 0.8 | 75 |
| 5 | 0.5 | 78 |
| 6 | 4.8 | 32 |
| 7 | 6.2 | 18 |
| 8 | 3.0 | 48 |
| 9 | 2.5 | 55 |
| 10 | 3.8 | 38 |
The researcher decided to conduct follow-up interviews with the controllers whose burnout index was above 60. He chose to use a structured interview.
Outline one limitation of using a structured interview in this study.
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