Sustained Attention in Auditory and Visual Monitoring Tasks

PDF

Authors
  1. Arrabito, G.R.
  2. Ho, G.
  3. Aghaei, B.
  4. Burns, C.
  5. Hou, M.
Corporate Authors
Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto Research Centre , Toronto ON (CAN);Waterloo Univ, Waterloo ONT (CAN)
Abstract
Objective: Performance and mental workload were observed for the administration of a rest break or exogenous vibrotactile signals in auditory and visual monitoring tasks. Background: Sustained attention is mentally demanding. Techniques are required to improve observer performance in vigilance tasks. Method: Participants (N = 150) monitored an auditory or a visual display for changes in signal duration in a 40-min watch. During the watch, participants were administered a rest break or exogenous vibrotactile signals. Results: Detection accuracy was significantly greater in the auditory than in the visual modality. A short rest break restored detection accuracy in both sensory modalities following deterioration in performance. Participants experienced significantly lower mental workload when monitoring auditory than visual signals, and a rest break significantly reduced mental workload in both sensory modalities. Exogenous vibrotactile signals had no beneficial effects on performance, or mental workload. Conclusion: A rest break can restore performance in auditory and visual vigilance tasks. Although sensory differences in vigilance tasks have been studied, this study is the initial effort to investigate the effects of a rest break countermeasure in both auditory and visual vigilance tasks, and it is also the initial effort to explore the effects of the intervention of a rest break on the perceived mental workload of auditory and visual vigilance tasks. Further research is warr
Keywords
vigilance;performance efficiency;workload;sustained attention;sensory modality;rest break;vibrotactile;signals;performance efficiency;stress
Report Number
DRDC-RDDC-2015-P147 — External Literature
Date of publication
15 Jun 2015
Number of Pages
14
DSTKIM No
CA041848
CANDIS No
802915
Format(s):
Electronic Document(PDF)

Permanent link

Document 1 of 1

Date modified: