Sustained attention and the Type A behavior pattern: the effect of daydreaming on performance.
The present study examined the ability of Type A and Type B subjects to sustain attention during a 40-min visual vigilance task. It was predicted that Type A subjects would perform better than Type B subjects and that the performance of both groups would be related to the frequency of daydreams during the vigil. Type A subjects outperformed Type B subjects with regard to perceptual sensitivity (A') and number of signal detections. Although both groups reported an increase in the number of their daydreams as the vigil progressed, Type A subjects reported fewer daydreams during each period of watch than did Type B subjects. In addition, an inverse relationship was found between the number of signal detections and the frequency of daydreams.
Perry
A R
AR
Department of Psychology, Brandeis University.
Laurie
C A
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D003201:Computers; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014434:Type A Personality