The effect of prolonged driving on the vigilance of Army truck drivers was srudied in cooperation with the American Association of State Highway Officials. A decrement in performance was predicted on the basis of long shifts, a highly repetitive cask, reported physical fatigue, and vehicle noise and vibration.Ss were 42 enlisted Army truck drivers (Men = 23 yr.). Ss drove large, heavily loaded commercial trucks repeatedly around experimental highway driving loops in 9-hr. shifts. One shifc consisted of 7 hr. of actual driving time sequenced in 6 driving periods of 90, 90, 90, 60, 45, and 30 min. Four 15-min. rest pauses and one 40-min. meal break were interspersed among driving periods. Ss monitored a visual discrimination task continuously during driving. Visual display units of 15 lights arranged in a circular fashion were mounted on truck dashboards. Signals appearing in 6 "critical" (red) panels were responded to by means of a foot pedal. Signals appearing in the 9 "noncritical" (white) panels were to be ignored. Critical signals were programmed at the rate of 30 per hour; inter-signal intervals ranging from 5 to 390 sec. occurred in random order. Non-critical signals appeared at the rate of 90 per hour. Signals were oP 1-sec. duration.The absolute level of vigilance was high. Critical signal detections aver---aged 83% for all driving periods combined. False detections averaged only 4% for all driving periods.There was no between-period performance decrement ( F = 1.21; df = 5/200; P > .25). N o measure of within-period decrement was possible. The absolute detection levels indicated, however, that any decrement that may have occurred within periods was relatively small.Individual differences in critical detection scores were wide (Range = 21 to 100%) and highly reliable (odd versus even driving periods, roc = .93; df = 40; P < .01). The range of individual scores became greater as the vigil progressed, resulting in a significant increase in inter-subject variance from --Driving period 1 to 6 ( t = 3.17; df = 41; P < .01).In view of past research, one possible explanation for the present lack of decrement is the relative complexity of the task. Performance decrements have been found repeatedly for simple (single signal source) vigilance tasks (Baker, 1959), but the evidence for decrement in complex (multiple signal source) vigilance tasks is scant (Frankmann & Adams, 1962 ). Also, the experimental task may have served as a stimulant co rather than a measure of vigilance performance.REFERENCES BAKER, C. H. Towards a theory of vigilance.
Requirement:This study was part of a long-range research effort to improve selection of helicopter pilot trainees so as to reduce attrition rate during training. The specific objective of the present study was to develop material for inclusion in one or more personality measures which would be subjected to further validation as part of an experimental selection battery. Procedure:A number of scores basedon selected items in four newly prepared personality instruments were tried out for effectiveness in predicting several aspects of helicopter pilot trainee success, with emphasis on preflight leadership training and rankings by fellow trainees and tactical officers. Since the leadership rankings were obtained late in the training cycle, they were considered nearly equivalent to evaluations of the overall job performance of warrant officer pilots. Data were obtained on 242 helicopter pilot trainees constituting six entering classes of the Army Primary Helicopter School. Results:A score based on items judged relevant to preflight training was found to have promising validity (r =.39). Of the other 57 measures, designed to provide scores on rather strictly delineated aspects of personality, 15 were predictive of preflight training success, four of leadership rankings. Utilization of Findings:The four personality instruments constituted a large pool of items from which an instrument was developed for operational use on the basis of item analysis. Results of the present study were useful in identifying the most promising predictor content for the additional analysis.
HFRB Technical Research Reports and Technical Research Notes are intended for sponsors of R and D tasks and other research and military agencies. Reports, unlike Notes, :ontain a management section. Any findings ready for implementation at the time of publication are presented in the latter part of the Brief. Upon completion of a major phase of t he task, formal recommendations for off icial act ion normally are conveyed to appropriate military agencies by briefing or Disposition Form. BACKGROUND 1
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