Minicomputer-administered tasks in the study of effects of sustained work on human performance

Ryman, David H.; Naitoh, Paul; Englund, Carl E.

doi:10.3758/bf03202398

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…Between performance bouts, the subjects were free to engage in a variety of activities, including reading, conversation, board games, studying, darts, and cards. Monitors stayed with them at all times between test bouts to ensure that they remained awake, and a senior investigator administered the performance tests without the aid of a computer (see Ryman, Naitoh, & Englund, 1984, for a description of a new computerbased system for task administration).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing performance upon abrupt awakening from naps during quasi-continuous operations

Dinges

Orne

1985

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

164

137

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Quasi-continuous work settings often involve sleep loss and requirements to perform at unpredictable times. Napping may alleviate some of the sleep-loss problems, but it increases the risk that the person will have difficulty functioning upon abrupt awakening. This paper describes an experimental approach, techniques, and analyses for investigating performance upon abrupt awakening from 2-h naps placed near either the circadian peak (P) or trough (T) in body temperature and preceded by 6, 18, 30, 42, or 54 h of sleep deprivation. Five groups of healthy young adults performed quasi-continuously for 54 h and were permitted a 2-h nap at one of five times. Reaction time (RT) to answer a phone terminating the nap, subjective estimates, and performance of a brief, challenging cognitive task were related to nap-sleep parameters of each group. Sleep deprivation increased the amount of deep sleep in the naps, and this was associated with greater postnap cognitive performance decrements; subjective estimates were unaffected, and RT performance was related simply to stage of sleep prior to awakening. Circadian placement of the naps also modulated the postnap cognitive decrement: T naps produced greater cognitive decrements than P naps, even when the latter involved more prior sleep loss. These findings have both practical and theoretical significance for evaluating the awakening process, and would not have been possible without the approach, techniques, and procedures described.There is a fundamental dilemma faced in planning sleep logistics for quasi-continuous work situations, such as those often encountered in the military. The person may have to perform at full capacity, at a moment's notice, at unpredictable times, over a period of many days, weeks, or months. If the individual is kept awake throughout the period, the inevitable effects of sleep deprivation take their toll, performance deteriorates, and involuntary sleep onsets become commonplace. If, on the other hand, the person sleeps, performance upon abrupt awakening from sleep may be severely compromised.Paradoxically, people actually function less well immediately upon awakening from sleep than they do prior to going to sleep (Kleitman, 1963), although the detrimental effect does not usually last beyond 15 to 30 min after subjects awaken. Decreased performance upon sudden awakening from sleep has been shown to occur for a broad range of tasks, including simple reaction time (RT) (Dinges, Orne, Evans, & Orne, 1981;Okuma, Nakamura, Hayashi, & Fujimori, 1966 Gillberg, 1979;Bonnet, 1983;Grosvenor & Lack, 1984;Stones, 1977), time estimates (Carlson, Feinberg, & Goodenough, 1978), complex-behavior simulation tasks Hartman, Langdon, & McKenzie, 1965;Langdon & Hartman, 1961;Seminara & Shavelson, 1969), and a number of cognitive tasks, such as mental arithmetic, cancellation, and clock reversal (Dinges et al., 1981;Fort & Mills, 1972; Pritchett, 1964 Pritchett, /1969Scott, 1969;Tebbs, 1972; Wilkinson & Stretton, 1971).Not only is the immediate postsleep performance dec...

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing performance upon abrupt awakening from naps during quasi-continuous operations

Dinges

Orne

1985

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

164

137

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“…Additionally, unique uses of computers, wherein subjects become subject-experimenters have been reported in sustained work studies (Mullaney, Kripke, Fleck, & Okudaira, 1983;Ryman, Naitoh, & Englund, 1984). New methodologies (Englund, 1981;Naitoh, Englund, Moses, & Spinweber, 1979), novel methods of data transformation (Thome, Genser, Sing, & Hegge, 1983), and different variables (Englund et al, 1983;Thome et al, 1983) have been identified.…”

Section: Carl E Englundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introduction

Englund¹,

Krueger²

1985

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

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“…The results on these measurements have been presented elsewhere Naitoh, Englund, & Ryman, 1982). A description of the computerized portion of the NHRC Performance Assessment Battery (PAB) utilized in the sustained operations (SUSOPS) series of studies at the lab was provided in Ryman, Naitoh, and Englund (1984) (see also Naitoh, 1981, and Naitoh et al, 1982. The other independent variables were sustained work and sleep loss.…”

Section: Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive performance during successive sustained physical work episodes

Englund

Ryman

Naitoh

et al. 1985

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

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The effects of physical work (30% of VO, max), sleep loss (3-h nap during a 48-h operation), continuous work (CW), and time of day on cognitive performance were assessed (by ANOVA) in this repeated-measures study comparing two groups (exercise/nonexercise) of healthy young men (N = 22). Treadmill walking did not accentuate or attenuate sleep-loss effects on performance; however, sleep loss alone did degrade visual vigilance and memory for words. Time-of-day fluctuations were found in choice reaction time, logical reasoning, and word memory. Visual vigilance for nonexercising subjects degraded sooner on the 2nd CW day than it did for exercising subjects. A 3-h nap at 0400 h after 1 17-h CW day was not immediately recuperative. These findings indicate that exercise at 30% ervo, max does not compound sleep-loss effects in cognitive performance. Indeed, physical activity during video terminal monitoring may delay any sleep-loss decrement. Variability of many cognitive abilities throughout the day appeared to show a greater ef-. feet than the sleep-loss and exercise effects over 2 days.A modern high-technology society requires full-time, round-the-clock services. The usual response to this requirement has taken the form of various shift systems, staffed typically by two or three stationary or rotated crews ("shifts"). However, some occupations require extended periods of continuous work (CW) on a regular or periodic basis. Examples include fire fighters, police, health care providers, rail and air transportation workers, and nuclear, petrochemical, and steel workers. Some of the most dramatic examples of CW are in military engagements. Military planners recognize that, should engagements be necessary, the weakest link may well be human, not hardware (Radomski & Defayolle, 1981).The major endogenous factors delimiting optimum, extended human performance have been identified as health, physical fitness, fatigue, training/skill level, information processing ability, and biological rhythms. External factors are work load, work-rest cycles, and environmental hazards (Englund, 1979;Englund, Naitoh, Ryman, & Hodgdon, 1983). Resolution of problems arising from the influence of these factors is the subject of intensive investigation. Intervention methods for performance enhancement range from pharmacology (exter- . Discovery of the means/mechanisms to support sustained quality mental and physical performance is the major objective of most CW studies that involve critical industrial or military applications. The relationships between physical work, sleep loss, and mental efficiency are not fully understood and require study, if we are to optimize performance under CW conditions. The present study is concerned with mental effectiveness during repeated CW periods. Successive sustained operations are those in which partial or complete rest/recovery periods separate two or more intensive, extended, work phases. Specifically, we have been studying the effects of continuous and repeated work episodes on cognitive performance, by m...

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Minicomputer-administered tasks in the study of effects of sustained work on human performance

Cited by 12 publications

References 23 publications

Assessing performance upon abrupt awakening from naps during quasi-continuous operations

Assessing performance upon abrupt awakening from naps during quasi-continuous operations

Introduction

Cognitive performance during successive sustained physical work episodes

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