Workload Demand and CNS Depressant Stressor Efffects on Spatial Orientation Information Processing

摘要

An important element of piloting high-performance jet aircraft is the human ability to perform spatial orientation information processing, particularly when it involves the use of video display instrumentation. Spatial disorientation has consistently been the cause of numerous accidents throughout the history of flight. A study was conducted to further evaluate the Manikin Task, a complex reaction time task previously developed by the RAF as a test of spatial orientati on. The objectives of the study were to (1) thoroughly evaluate the training characteristics of the task including variation in performance related to individual stimuli characteristics, (2) determine the task's speed vs. accuracy tradeoff characteristics, and (3) assess performance on the task under the influence of ethyl alcohol. Response times and accuracy were measured on five subjects under various conditions over a five-week period. Analysis of the data indicated a substantial dependence of response times on certain stimuli characteristics. In addition, there was a definite decline in accuracy corresponding to a forced decrease in response time. However, the relationship could not be adequately represented by the proposed speed-accuracy tradeoff functions. The effect of alcohol was evidenced primarily by a change in the slope if the speed-accuracy tradeoff relationship.