Journal Article

ADDRESSING COMPLACENCY BIAS in Film & Television Production

Johnsen, Chris C

2025

Overview

Complacency arises from a natural human drive to seek comfort and stability, often as a response to achieving a level of success or routine that seems satisfactory (Bargh & Morsella, 2008). Implicit bias involves unconscious attitudes that shape judgments and actions (Bargh & Morsella, 2008), while selection bias occurs when certain groups or data points are systematically favored or excluded, leading to skewed results (Rothman et al., 2008). [...]offshore drilling crews showed lapses in situation awareness and vigilance when exposed to routine, lowconsequence events, a condition that often precedes more severe incidents (Sneddon et al., 2013). Another notable example is the death of stunt pilot Art Scholl during the filming of Top Gun in 1986, highlighting complacency toward the inherent risks of performing aerial stunts (Check-Six. com, n.d.; Murano, 2009; Production Bulletin, 2021).

• Publisher: American Society of Safety Engineers
• Subject: Actors / Bias / Collaboration / Data points / Decision making / Drilling / Fatalities / Firearms / Human factors research / Injuries / Motion picture directors & producers / Occupational safety / Pareto optimum / Safety standards / Situational awareness / Stunts & stunt performers / Television production / Training / Vigilance