The effects of signal salience and caffeine on performance, workload, and stress in an abbreviated vigilance task.
In 2 experiments, a 12-min computerized vigilance task was demonstrated to reproduce the vigilance decrement, high workload (NASA-TLX), and stressful character (Dundee Stress State Questionnaire) of vigilance tasks lasting 30 min or more. In Experiment 1, the abbreviated task was also shown to duplicate the signal salience effect, a major finding associated with long-duration vigilance tasks. Moreover, Experiment 2 showed that performance on the abbreviated task can be enhanced by caffeine - a drug that benefits long-duration tasks. This enhancement effect was limited to performance, however, suggesting that caffeine influences factors that control signal detection but not those that control task-induced stress. The results parallel those obtained with long-duration tasks and support a resource-depletion model of the vigilance decrement. The abbreviated task might be useful in situations in which long-duration tasks are precluded (e.g., performance assessment batteries, neuropsychological testing, and brain imaging).
Temple
J G
JG
University of Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0376, USA.
Warm
J S
JS
Dember
W N
WN
Jones
K S
KS
LaGrange
C M
CM
Matthews
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000209:etiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016526:Workload
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine