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Physical exertion and mental performance
of the deteriorating performance, in this tracking task, of subjects exercised for periods ca 1 hour. Some evidence of the onset of somnolence has been found. 5.3.110 (64690)
Rasmussen, P.G., and I-Iashbrook, A.H. Pilot tracking performance during successive in-flight simulated instrument approaches, FAA, Office of Aviation-Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. Report No. FAA-AM72-9 Feb. 1972 Abstr inAerospace Medicine. Eight instrument rated pilots with flying experience ranging from 600 to 12,271 hours each flew ten simulated ILS instrument approaches in a single engine, general aviation aircraft equipped with a primary flight display arranged in a conventional " T " configuration. Continuous glide slope and localizer tracking performance was recorded during each approach. Approaches were flown consecutively at approximately 10 min intervals, with a 1 min in-flight rest period prior to each approach.
5.3.111 (64692) Weir, D.H., and McRuer, D.T. Measurement and interpretation of driver/vehicle system dynamic response Human Factors Aug 1974, 15.4 367-378. This paper summarizes applicable theory and data from simulation experiments on the directional control of automobiles subjected to cross-wind gust disturbances. Measured driver/ vehicle describing functions for several subjects and replications are presented and interpreted. It is shown that the driver's steering outputs can be explained as functions of lateral position and heading, although alternate interpretations involving pathangle and path-rate feedbacks are considered. The results demonstrate that driver/vehicle response properties can be modelled and measured for a class of important closed-loop driving tasks. They provide further direct experimental verification of the applicability of driver/vehicle theory to situations where the driver obtains his information from a real-world visual simulation. 5.3.112 (64696)
lngrao, H.C., and Lifsitz, J.R. Proposed control tower and cockpit visibility readouts based on an airportaircraft information flow system, Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, Mass. Jul. 1971. Abstr in Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (Report No. N73-10647)
The problem of displaying visibility information to both controller and pilot is discussed in the context of visibility information flow in the airport-aircraft system. The optimum amount of visibility information, as well as its rate of flow and display, depends both on the needs of the pilot during landing and on the air traffic control philosophy (tactical or strategic) chosen. A rationale is provided to assist in the selection of flow rates and readouts. The relationship of visibility information to the magnitude of terminal information handled by the pilot is discussed. Several display formats are proposed, including one for the traffic controller and three different options for the pilot.
F acto rs affecti ng perceptual motor performance 5.3.113 (64?00) Koethe, H. Signal detection theory - an experimental method for human engineering investigations (Die Signalentdeckungstheorie (SDT) als Methodisches Hilfsmittel fuer Anthropotechnische Untersuchungen). Forschungsinstitut fuer Anthropotechnik, Meckenheim, Anthropotectmishe Mitteilung No 1/73 42pp. A survey of psychological scaling and classical threshold methods is given. Signal Detection Theory (SDT) offers theoretical explanations which overcome the problems of older psychophysical models. The introduction into the theoretical foundations of SDT is followed by the description of its methods. Finally, the applicability of SDT-methods to human engineering problems is described.
5.3.114 (64704) Davey, C.P. Physical exertion and mental performance Ergonomics Sep, 1973, 16.5,595-599. The problem of why people in a state of fatigue make wrong decisions prompted a series of laboratory experiments of which two are described. Subjects pedalled a bicycle ergometer for varying periods of time and were tested for mental performance after different amounts of physical exertion. The results showed that a submaximal amount of physical exertion improved mental performance on the Brown and
Poulton test of attention which relies heavily on short term memory. When the exertion was increased over longer periods of time the graph showing the relationship of mental performance to physical exertion followed the form of an inverted U. The evidence suggests that physical exertion affects mental performance by raising the level of arousal. Areas for further research are suggested.
5.3.115 (64705)
Hulbert, S. Effects of driver fatigue. In T.W. Forbes (Ed.), Human Factors in Highway Traffic Safety Research, Wileylnterscience, New York, N.Y., USA 1972. Abstr in Psychological A b s tracts. Notes that 35-50% of highway fatalities are directly attributable to fatigue or drowsiness and reviews studies on types of fatigue, the effects of sleep deprivation, task-induced fatigue, and drowsiness and trip planning. Countermeasures which have been investigated are: mechanical devices, amphetamines, caffeine, rest and refreshment, and food ingestion. An outline of recommendations for rest area locations is included.
5.3.116 (64714) Kishida, K. Temporal change of subsidiary behavior in monotonous work Journal o f Human Ergology Sep, 1973, 2.1, 7 5 - 8 9 . Temporal changes in behaviour of assembly workers performing monotonous tasks were investigated by recording their subsidiary activities such as chattering, looking around, changing positions, arranging hair, yawning, etc, and the results were compared among three work patterns; conveyor lines with fixed work rates, conveyor lines with variable tasks, and table type assembly shops. These subsidiary activities usually increased gradually after about half an hour from the beginning of each work session. The increasing tendency was the most conspicuous on the conveyor lines with variable tasks, moderate in table-type shops, and suppressed on the conveyor lines with severe and constant pacing. In severely paced conveyor workshops, the less the waiting time was included, the smaller was the frequency of subsidiary activities. The average decline of the critical flicker frequency or the colour naming speed was negatively correlated with the mean frequency of subsidiary activities of the workshop, while more subjective fatigue feelings were claimed by
Applied Ergonomics September 1974
171
Rasmussen, P.G., and I-Iashbrook, A.H. Pilot tracking performance during successive in-flight simulated instrument approaches, FAA, Office of Aviation-Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. Report No. FAA-AM72-9 Feb. 1972 Abstr inAerospace Medicine. Eight instrument rated pilots with flying experience ranging from 600 to 12,271 hours each flew ten simulated ILS instrument approaches in a single engine, general aviation aircraft equipped with a primary flight display arranged in a conventional " T " configuration. Continuous glide slope and localizer tracking performance was recorded during each approach. Approaches were flown consecutively at approximately 10 min intervals, with a 1 min in-flight rest period prior to each approach.
5.3.111 (64692) Weir, D.H., and McRuer, D.T. Measurement and interpretation of driver/vehicle system dynamic response Human Factors Aug 1974, 15.4 367-378. This paper summarizes applicable theory and data from simulation experiments on the directional control of automobiles subjected to cross-wind gust disturbances. Measured driver/ vehicle describing functions for several subjects and replications are presented and interpreted. It is shown that the driver's steering outputs can be explained as functions of lateral position and heading, although alternate interpretations involving pathangle and path-rate feedbacks are considered. The results demonstrate that driver/vehicle response properties can be modelled and measured for a class of important closed-loop driving tasks. They provide further direct experimental verification of the applicability of driver/vehicle theory to situations where the driver obtains his information from a real-world visual simulation. 5.3.112 (64696)
lngrao, H.C., and Lifsitz, J.R. Proposed control tower and cockpit visibility readouts based on an airportaircraft information flow system, Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, Mass. Jul. 1971. Abstr in Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (Report No. N73-10647)
The problem of displaying visibility information to both controller and pilot is discussed in the context of visibility information flow in the airport-aircraft system. The optimum amount of visibility information, as well as its rate of flow and display, depends both on the needs of the pilot during landing and on the air traffic control philosophy (tactical or strategic) chosen. A rationale is provided to assist in the selection of flow rates and readouts. The relationship of visibility information to the magnitude of terminal information handled by the pilot is discussed. Several display formats are proposed, including one for the traffic controller and three different options for the pilot.
F acto rs affecti ng perceptual motor performance 5.3.113 (64?00) Koethe, H. Signal detection theory - an experimental method for human engineering investigations (Die Signalentdeckungstheorie (SDT) als Methodisches Hilfsmittel fuer Anthropotechnische Untersuchungen). Forschungsinstitut fuer Anthropotechnik, Meckenheim, Anthropotectmishe Mitteilung No 1/73 42pp. A survey of psychological scaling and classical threshold methods is given. Signal Detection Theory (SDT) offers theoretical explanations which overcome the problems of older psychophysical models. The introduction into the theoretical foundations of SDT is followed by the description of its methods. Finally, the applicability of SDT-methods to human engineering problems is described.
5.3.114 (64704) Davey, C.P. Physical exertion and mental performance Ergonomics Sep, 1973, 16.5,595-599. The problem of why people in a state of fatigue make wrong decisions prompted a series of laboratory experiments of which two are described. Subjects pedalled a bicycle ergometer for varying periods of time and were tested for mental performance after different amounts of physical exertion. The results showed that a submaximal amount of physical exertion improved mental performance on the Brown and
Poulton test of attention which relies heavily on short term memory. When the exertion was increased over longer periods of time the graph showing the relationship of mental performance to physical exertion followed the form of an inverted U. The evidence suggests that physical exertion affects mental performance by raising the level of arousal. Areas for further research are suggested.
5.3.115 (64705)
Hulbert, S. Effects of driver fatigue. In T.W. Forbes (Ed.), Human Factors in Highway Traffic Safety Research, Wileylnterscience, New York, N.Y., USA 1972. Abstr in Psychological A b s tracts. Notes that 35-50% of highway fatalities are directly attributable to fatigue or drowsiness and reviews studies on types of fatigue, the effects of sleep deprivation, task-induced fatigue, and drowsiness and trip planning. Countermeasures which have been investigated are: mechanical devices, amphetamines, caffeine, rest and refreshment, and food ingestion. An outline of recommendations for rest area locations is included.
5.3.116 (64714) Kishida, K. Temporal change of subsidiary behavior in monotonous work Journal o f Human Ergology Sep, 1973, 2.1, 7 5 - 8 9 . Temporal changes in behaviour of assembly workers performing monotonous tasks were investigated by recording their subsidiary activities such as chattering, looking around, changing positions, arranging hair, yawning, etc, and the results were compared among three work patterns; conveyor lines with fixed work rates, conveyor lines with variable tasks, and table type assembly shops. These subsidiary activities usually increased gradually after about half an hour from the beginning of each work session. The increasing tendency was the most conspicuous on the conveyor lines with variable tasks, moderate in table-type shops, and suppressed on the conveyor lines with severe and constant pacing. In severely paced conveyor workshops, the less the waiting time was included, the smaller was the frequency of subsidiary activities. The average decline of the critical flicker frequency or the colour naming speed was negatively correlated with the mean frequency of subsidiary activities of the workshop, while more subjective fatigue feelings were claimed by
Applied Ergonomics September 1974
171