Good questions. Uncertainty about denial can, I think, spawn an
endless cycle of doubts, attempted answers, further queries, their
part resolution, another area to consider, (divorce, loss of friends,
eventual insanity?) and so on.
I am a pilot and flying instructor (since 35 years ago). My interest
in denial originated in accident investigation. To keep matters
legitimate and ethical, I confined my inquiries to my own experience,
and limited the field of study to effects that will be of influence in
the cockpit, or in flight planning and management.
I advise other pilots to do the same thing. Find out for yourself. The
answers you discover yourself, about yourself, comprise the most
powerful learning you will experience.
To assist pilots find out for themselves, I wrote a book. (It's in the
'Bookshop'.) It uses benchmarking and introspection as teaching
methods. These are easily acquired and honed skills. (They are also
cognitive skills.)
The practical part of the book is a series of exercises you can use to
stimulate denial effects in a range of situations. That is, you crank
it up, within yourself, give it a run, so to speak, and in such a way
that you can observe for yourself how it's operating within you, and
make an assessment of how that would play out in the cockpit. Once
you're adept at that, all of your questions will have been answered.
To provide further assistance, I have written a 4-page paper as an
introduction to the business of using the exercises. I'll send that
directly, and later ask Neil if he thinks it might be a contribution
to his 'Resources' cache.
Having said that, here are some responses triggered by your questions.
One of my benchmarks is the pilot who joined the Air Force after
starting a career at the bank. He is described as your typical
arrogant fighter jock. I also show how his aggressive behaviour is a
manifestation of his high denial levels. I muse at what sort of person
he would have become, had he stayed at the bank and gone on to be an
accountant. I conclude from that, that there are aspects of denial
that are learned. That being the case, they can be 'unlearned'.
The questions of variability of test results and dependence on other
people to interpret results disappear once you accept - through your
own experience, this is not an argument that can be concluded on the
basis of theoretical discourse alone - that 'self-test' works, for the
purpose of knowing about your own denial and its likely impact on your
flying duties.
There's a section in my book that quite plainly shows how high denial
in one (the Captain, say) can so intimidate another (co-pilot) as to
neutralise the concept of 'crew'. Another chapter deals with
attitudes-as-cognitive-skills.
As you will see from my paper, exercising in a small group is useful.
It also shows how denial effects will play out in team or group
functions.
In the end, though, you have to find out for yourself. Good luck.
Cheers
Doug