I have said it before with AP on or off pilot's scan remains same only difference is with AP on, the AP makes changes and in manual pilot makes changes.
I’m not too sure the scans are the same, as with AP in the aircraft is being controlled through the MCP/FMC, which necessarily takes attention away from instrument monitoring. Most SOPs are when the PF is hand-flying, the PM will look after all the selections so the PF can concentrate on the instruments?
With or without AP It's the loss of scan that causes the problem. Mode or no mode, right or wrong mode, you simply cannot make an approch without a periodic glance at the speed.
Agree with that.
Maybe there’s a third type of confusion: unconscious, where you don’t even know you don’t know what you’re doing? (Going Rumsfeldian here...)