Biomedical subjects
J P Bailey
Publications and source records attributed to J P Bailey.
The effect of increased monitoring load on vigilance performance using a simulated radar display.
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Comparison of the vigilance performance of men and women using a simulated radar task.
The present study examined the question of possible sex differences in the ability to sustain attention to a complex monitoring task requiring only a detection response to critical stimulus changes. The visual display was designed to approximate a futuristic, highly automated air traffic control radar display containing computer-generated alphanumeric symbols. There were 26 men and 26 women tested, each over a 2-h session. Sixteen targets appeared on the screen at all times, with 10 signals (a designated change in the alphanumerics) randomly presented during each 0.5 h of the test session. Detection latency to the signals increased significantly during the session, but there was no evidence of any significant differences between the sexes in the magnitude or pattern of this increase. The results are discussed in terms of a general decline in alertness that was apparently equal for both sexes.
Boredom and arousal: comparison of tasks differing in visual complexity.
This experiment was designed to examine the relationship of boredom to arousal. 32 male subjects participated, with 16 subjects performing a low-visual-complexity task and the remainder performing a task high in visual complexity. Both physiological and subjective measures were obtained. Responses to subjective questionnaires showed significant increases in boredom for both groups. Physiological measures indicated a mixed pattern of change. These results suggest a complex response pattern for the construct of boredom which cannot be described as clearly showing either increasing or decreasing arousal.
Reactions to sonic booms: a report of two studies and a general evaluation of startle effects.
Two separate studies are reported. The first attempted to determine a sonic boom level below which startle would not occurr. Subjects were exposed indoors to six simulated sonic booms having outside overpressures of 50, 30, and 16 N/m-2 (inside levels of 74, 71, and 65 dBA). Approximately 20% of the subjects gave small arm-hand responses to the two higher exposure levels, while none responded to the lowest level. In the second study, subjects were exposed indoors to a series of 12 simulated booms in order to assess habituation effects. Outside overpressures were 130 and 50 N/m-2 (indoor levels of 81 and 72 dBA). Significant, but not complete, habituation occurred to booms of both levels. Autonomic and eyeblink responses, as well as ratings of annoyance, were obtained in both studies. The final section summarizes the expected behavioral, autonomic, and subjective effects of exposure to various levels of sonic booms.