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1.2.37 (52708) The effect of background music on the control activity of an automobile driver
evaluated in terms of output, employee attitudes, and the level of participation. The percentage of favourable job attitudes and the amount of performance improvement were both positively related to level of group participation. Output was increased by 45 and 90% respectively, in the groups which achieved medium and high levels of employee participation. 1.2.34(52606) Singleton, 14l. T. Implication of human factors for management control of industrial inspection
Pro ceedings of meeting of In dustrial Section of Ergonomics Society on 'Human Factors and the Management of In spection' 14 No v. 1968 The development of industrial production is characterized by the gradual substitution of machines for activities originally carried out by human operators. The reason for this is found in the serious limitations of human operators which are mainly inevitable consequences of their flexibility. Machine superiority inevitably spreads: the first and second industrial revolutions considered respectively the provision of better power source and better r o u t i n e checking devices. Nevertheless certain human functions cannot yet be imitated by machines, these are mainly connected with versatility of human input mechanisms; variety of inputs, ability to cope with low signal to noise ratios, pattern recognition. Unfortunately employing humans is a package deal. We cannot have the advantages without accepting the limitations, ie inconsistency, fatigue, susceptibility to irrelevant factors such as physical and social conditions. Hence, the need for increase in scientific knowledge which can provide guidance on: provision of optimum environmental conditions for human inspection work, working conditions in time and design of appropriate management control; selection, training, instructions, payments, etc. 1.2.35 (52704) Bhatia, N. and Murrell, K. F. H. An industrial experiment in organised rest pauses
Human Factors, Apr. 1969, 11, 2, 167-174 It was discovered during recent explorations in various industries that many hours were wasted in irregularly recurring pauses. This paper outlines an experiment which attempted to regularize these unofficial pauses and to test whether fixed rest pauses could be
introduced to reduce fatigue and improve quality and operatives' job satisfaction without loss of production and earnings. This openly acknowledged the operatives' social need for communication. "Compensatory relaxation allowances" were therefore given as actual rest of l 0 min at the end of each hour. Four 15 min breaks at longer intervals were also tried. Interviews were held at three different stages to assess the effect of the experiment on the operatives' attitudes toward the job, colleagues, supervisors, etc. Improvement in production and its quality and in earnings was found at the end of the experiment, and the more frequent and shorter break of 10 min was unanimously preferred. 1.2.36 (52706) Colquhoun, W. P. Unusual hours of work
Pro ceedings o f meeting of the Occupational Psychology Section o f The British Psychological Society, 1968 A series of experimental studies of 12-day periods of shift-work was described in which a consistent relation between body-temperature and performance at mental tasks was observed. In swiftly rotating shift-systems, the circadian rhythm of temperature persisted throughout the 12-day period, with accompanying large fluctuations in efficiency. In 'stabilized' or 'fixed-hours' systems involving night work, partial adaptation of the temperature rhythm occurred after some 5 or 6 days. This adaptation was reflected with reasonable fidelity in the performance scores, with the result that efficiency in the final 6 days of the shift-work period was considerably less variable than in the first 6 days. No clear effects of within-shift 'fatigue' were apparent with duty spells of up to 8 hrs (with breaks) but there were signs that 12-hr shifts were having a slightly adverse effect on performance trends within the shift, and on general levels of efficiency over the 12-day period. It was also observed that little if any adaptation occurred to a shift commencing at 4 a.m. This was tentatively interpreted as being due to social pressure which effectively prevented adjustment to sleeping during the evening hours. 1.2.37 (52708) Konz, S. and McDougal, D. The effect of background music on the control activity of an automobile driver. Human Factors, Jun. 1968, 10, 3,
233-244
The effect of silence, slow music, and Tijuana Brass music on the control activity of 24 automotive drivers was recorded on a Greenshield's Driveometer. Control activity was affected by the music but the effects of slow and Tijuana Brass music were not the same; speed was faster during music and weaving was less. 1.2.38 (52714) Wilkinson, R. T. Reduced sleep
Proceedings of meeting of Occupational Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society, 1968 Even on a single night, people rarely fail to sleep at all; it is much more common however for sleep to be reduced below the presumed norm of about 71/2hr. Paradoxically, while we have much information about the effects of total sleep deprivation, little is known, and that almost all negative, about partial loss of sleep. An experiment was reported in which subjects reduced their sleep on two successive nights to either 5, 3, 2, 1, or 0 hr and were tested throughout the following days (with breaks for meals and snacks) on alternating l-hr vigilance and calculating tasks. Two hours or less sleep on one night and 5 hr or less on two were sufficient to impair performance significantly on both tasks when work was prolonged in this not unrealistic way. Measures derived from theory of signal detection were taken in the vigilance. Sleep deprivation had only a small effect of beta, but d was sharply reduced as soon as sleep fell below the 3 hr level. Significantly, perhaps, this is the point at which EEG Stage 4, the so-called 'deep' sleep, begins to be lost. 1.2.39 (52723) Botwinick, J. and Thompson, L. W. Age difference in reaction: an artefact?
Gerontologist, 1968, 8, lpt.1, 2 5 - 2 8 A fact as solid as any in the psychological study of ageing is that, as adults grow older, they become increasingly slow in responding to environmental events. In carrying out a study a chance observation was noted which, while not refuting unequivocally the fact of age differences in reaction time challenges, or at least requires an elaboration of, theories relating to age differences in CNS functioning. RT's of elderly subjects were compared with those of athletes and nonathletes and it was found that while older subjects were significantly slower than young athletes, they were not significantly slower than young non-athletes. These results suggest that a re-examination of the basic 'facts' of ageing is needed.
Applied Ergonomics March
1970
123
Pro ceedings of meeting of In dustrial Section of Ergonomics Society on 'Human Factors and the Management of In spection' 14 No v. 1968 The development of industrial production is characterized by the gradual substitution of machines for activities originally carried out by human operators. The reason for this is found in the serious limitations of human operators which are mainly inevitable consequences of their flexibility. Machine superiority inevitably spreads: the first and second industrial revolutions considered respectively the provision of better power source and better r o u t i n e checking devices. Nevertheless certain human functions cannot yet be imitated by machines, these are mainly connected with versatility of human input mechanisms; variety of inputs, ability to cope with low signal to noise ratios, pattern recognition. Unfortunately employing humans is a package deal. We cannot have the advantages without accepting the limitations, ie inconsistency, fatigue, susceptibility to irrelevant factors such as physical and social conditions. Hence, the need for increase in scientific knowledge which can provide guidance on: provision of optimum environmental conditions for human inspection work, working conditions in time and design of appropriate management control; selection, training, instructions, payments, etc. 1.2.35 (52704) Bhatia, N. and Murrell, K. F. H. An industrial experiment in organised rest pauses
Human Factors, Apr. 1969, 11, 2, 167-174 It was discovered during recent explorations in various industries that many hours were wasted in irregularly recurring pauses. This paper outlines an experiment which attempted to regularize these unofficial pauses and to test whether fixed rest pauses could be
introduced to reduce fatigue and improve quality and operatives' job satisfaction without loss of production and earnings. This openly acknowledged the operatives' social need for communication. "Compensatory relaxation allowances" were therefore given as actual rest of l 0 min at the end of each hour. Four 15 min breaks at longer intervals were also tried. Interviews were held at three different stages to assess the effect of the experiment on the operatives' attitudes toward the job, colleagues, supervisors, etc. Improvement in production and its quality and in earnings was found at the end of the experiment, and the more frequent and shorter break of 10 min was unanimously preferred. 1.2.36 (52706) Colquhoun, W. P. Unusual hours of work
Pro ceedings o f meeting of the Occupational Psychology Section o f The British Psychological Society, 1968 A series of experimental studies of 12-day periods of shift-work was described in which a consistent relation between body-temperature and performance at mental tasks was observed. In swiftly rotating shift-systems, the circadian rhythm of temperature persisted throughout the 12-day period, with accompanying large fluctuations in efficiency. In 'stabilized' or 'fixed-hours' systems involving night work, partial adaptation of the temperature rhythm occurred after some 5 or 6 days. This adaptation was reflected with reasonable fidelity in the performance scores, with the result that efficiency in the final 6 days of the shift-work period was considerably less variable than in the first 6 days. No clear effects of within-shift 'fatigue' were apparent with duty spells of up to 8 hrs (with breaks) but there were signs that 12-hr shifts were having a slightly adverse effect on performance trends within the shift, and on general levels of efficiency over the 12-day period. It was also observed that little if any adaptation occurred to a shift commencing at 4 a.m. This was tentatively interpreted as being due to social pressure which effectively prevented adjustment to sleeping during the evening hours. 1.2.37 (52708) Konz, S. and McDougal, D. The effect of background music on the control activity of an automobile driver. Human Factors, Jun. 1968, 10, 3,
233-244
The effect of silence, slow music, and Tijuana Brass music on the control activity of 24 automotive drivers was recorded on a Greenshield's Driveometer. Control activity was affected by the music but the effects of slow and Tijuana Brass music were not the same; speed was faster during music and weaving was less. 1.2.38 (52714) Wilkinson, R. T. Reduced sleep
Proceedings of meeting of Occupational Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society, 1968 Even on a single night, people rarely fail to sleep at all; it is much more common however for sleep to be reduced below the presumed norm of about 71/2hr. Paradoxically, while we have much information about the effects of total sleep deprivation, little is known, and that almost all negative, about partial loss of sleep. An experiment was reported in which subjects reduced their sleep on two successive nights to either 5, 3, 2, 1, or 0 hr and were tested throughout the following days (with breaks for meals and snacks) on alternating l-hr vigilance and calculating tasks. Two hours or less sleep on one night and 5 hr or less on two were sufficient to impair performance significantly on both tasks when work was prolonged in this not unrealistic way. Measures derived from theory of signal detection were taken in the vigilance. Sleep deprivation had only a small effect of beta, but d was sharply reduced as soon as sleep fell below the 3 hr level. Significantly, perhaps, this is the point at which EEG Stage 4, the so-called 'deep' sleep, begins to be lost. 1.2.39 (52723) Botwinick, J. and Thompson, L. W. Age difference in reaction: an artefact?
Gerontologist, 1968, 8, lpt.1, 2 5 - 2 8 A fact as solid as any in the psychological study of ageing is that, as adults grow older, they become increasingly slow in responding to environmental events. In carrying out a study a chance observation was noted which, while not refuting unequivocally the fact of age differences in reaction time challenges, or at least requires an elaboration of, theories relating to age differences in CNS functioning. RT's of elderly subjects were compared with those of athletes and nonathletes and it was found that while older subjects were significantly slower than young athletes, they were not significantly slower than young non-athletes. These results suggest that a re-examination of the basic 'facts' of ageing is needed.
Applied Ergonomics March
1970
123