Age-related differences in complex monitoring performance.

Details

• Creators:
  Thackray, Richard I. ; Touchstone, R. Mark
• Corporate Creators:
  Civil Aeromedical Institute
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Office of Aviation Medicine
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Radar air traffic control
  • Age
  • Attention
  • Vigilance
  • Alertness
  • Fatigue (Physiological condition)
  • Eye movements
  • Galvanic skin response
  • Human subject testing
  • Performance
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FAA-AM-81-12 ; DOT/FAA/AM-81/12
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
• Abstract:
  The present study examined the effect of age on the ability to sustain attention to a complex monitoring task. The visual display was designed to resemble an air traffic control radar display containing alphanumeric symbols. Subjects in age groups 18-29, 40-50, and 60-70 years were tested over a 2-hour session. Sixteen symbols appeared on the screen at all times, with 10 critical stimuli (a designated change in the alphanumerics) occurring during each half-hour. ; Performance decrement was significantly related to age, with performance declining earlier in the session in the oldest group of subjects. Recordings of eye movement activity, skin conductance level, and subjective assessments of fatigue, boredom, monotony, and attentiveness generally failed to reveal any clear reasons for the greater performance decrement of older subjects. Possible directions for further research are discussed.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/21193/dot_21193_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 535.84 KB]
• Collection(s):
  FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute ; US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1050e8b63a5f6d83e136105ef44d8dc55f8919a3ae4adb83af0c774527671726a11342382c635440a852e9355d9522726cf940a4ce6af669ed3d974afda35b39