Processing Demands, Training, and the Vigilance Decrement

Abstract

Two possible sources of vigilance decrement are inadequate training of operators and taxing information-processing demands. This study attempted to compensate for both of these sources. Although compensation for training was effective, processing demands may have been set too high, as detection sensitivity declined. This result suggests that an event rate much less than the current threshold of 24/min is necessary to stabilize sensitivity. Response latency increased progressively during the task and was greater for "unsure" as compared with "sure" decisions. Consistent with an adaptation-level hypothesis, reduced sensitivity was compensated by a general negative shift in response bias. This adaptive process may account for the absence in this study of the usual fonn of vigilance decrement: a positive shift in bias, which reduces both detection and false-alann scores.

Interactions between endogenous and exogenous attention during vigilance

“…Increased conservatism over time is a common finding in vigilance studies, and is often due to normal changes in probability expectations under conditions of low target probability (Parasuraman & Davies, 1976). Response bias can also increase as observers come to believe that signal probability is less than they originally thought (See et al, 1997), such as when target probability during a training session influences expectations about target probability in a subsequent sustained attention task (e.g., Colquhoun & Baddeley, 1964, 1967; Williams, 1986). In Experiment 1, the threshold procedure was not like the sustained attention task at all, thus subjects would have developed no expectation of a particular target probability.…”

Modeling Meaningful Use as Utility in Emergency Medical Services

“…Identify the benefits, costs, and risks (utility factors) associated with each technology interaction. 6. Quantify (if possible) the utility factors for each technology interaction.…”

“…Because of this MCI preparedness may be considered a kind of organizational vigilance task. In psychology, vigilance tasks are those activities, such as air traffic control, that require constant training, preparedness, and monitoring for occurrences that are relatively rare [6]. In summary, this theory posits that because they are rare, preparedness for MCI decays or decrements as a function of this lack of practice.…”

Deterioration of the Useful Visual Field with Age and Sleep Deprivation: Insight from Signal Detection Theory

“…Indeed, these authors recorded a decrease in the sensitivity of sleep-deprived participants when carrying out an auditory alertness test. Perceptual sensitivity also decreases when the participant performs a monotonous and prolonged test (Parasuraman & Davies, 1976;Parasuraman & Davies, 1977;Swets, 1977;Williams, 1986;Parasuraman & Mouloua, 1987;Parasuraman, et al, 1989;Berardi, et al, 2001). It can be concluded that the decreased alertness induces a deterioration of the sensitivity of the perceptual system not only in the ability to process information appearing in the foveal area but also in the ability to process information appearing in the peripheral area of the visual field.…”

“…Perceptual sensitivity and decision criterion are used to analyse the data obtained in vigilance tasks. According to some authors, perceptual sensitivity decreases with the increasing duration of a visual vigilance test (Parasuraman & Davies, 1976;Parasuraman & Davies, 1977;Swets, 1977;Williams, 1986;Parasuraman & Mouloua, 1987;Parasuraman, Nestor, & Greenwood, 1989;Berardi, Parasuraman, & Haxby, 2001). It seems that the ability to discriminate signals (or the sensitivity of the sensory system) deteriorates as alertness decreases.…”