The present experiment employed a visual signal-detection task within a cost-benefit (inhibitionfacilitation) paradigm to examine the effects of selective attention on perceptual sensitivity. A central cue directed the subjects' attention to either a right or a left spatial location where a detection task was performed. The cue was either a high/low or neutral-validity indicator of the position in which an event was likely to occur. A rating-scale response scheme in conjunction with the subjects' target signallocational judgments allowed for the construction of ROC curves for each condition. Significant benefits were found for all subjects, supporting the hypothesis that selective attention can enhance perceptual sensitivity. Deallocation of attention resulted in an inhibition of sensitivity in unattended spatial locations. Subjects were consistently most sensitive in the right spatial location. There were no significant differences in overall response bias among the three conditions or in spatial locations. The results support theories of attention, such as "perceptual tuning," that suggest very early selective control.

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In conjunction with the current upgrade of the FAA's Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, significant effort has been devoted to identifying an appropriate facility lighting design. The new ATC environment will entail more extensive and intensive use of computer displays than in the current system. Studies of facility lighting techniques were performed, validating the relative advantages of indirect lighting versus direct lighting, examining proper illumination levels, and identifying appropriate positioning of luminaires.