Event Rate as a Moderator Variable for Vigilance: Implications for Performance-Feedback and Stress
Using a simulated air-traffic control display, this experiment examined the effects of the rate of cascade of the stimulus events to be scrutinized for the presence of critical signals – the background event rate – on the ability of observers to benefit from knowledge of results (KR) concerning the efficiency of their performance in a 40-min vigilance task and upon their stress reactions to that task. KR stabilized detection probability over time and enhanced the speed of signal detections in the context of a slow event rate (5 events/min) but not a fast event rate (40 events/min). Additionally, the stress profile, as measured by the Dundee Stress State Questionnaire (Matthews et al., 1999), was more severe in the context of the fast event rate. The results confirm and extend previous findings that event rate is a key moderator variable in the study of vigilance.
School:University of Cincinnati
School Location:USA - Ohio
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:vigilance knowledge of results event rate
Date of Publication:01/01/2007