Effects of Multiple-Signal Discrimination on Vigilance Performance and Perceived Workload

Prior vigilance studies have shown that successive monitoring tasks involving absolute judgments are more capacity-demanding than simultaneous tasks which are comparative in nature. Most of these data stem from experiments utilizing simple discriminations and single-target displays, and, consequently, little is know regarding performance on sustained attention tasks with more complex displays. Observers in the present study monitored either one (O-bits display uncertainty), two (1-bit display uncertainty), or four (2-bits display uncertainty) indicators on a simulated aircraft display for the occurrence of critical signals presented in either a simultaneous or a successive format. Results indicated that correct detections declined as display uncertainty increased, and that this effect was more pronounced in the simultaneous format. Moreover, workload scores increased with display uncertainty, particularly in the simultaneous condition. These findings suggest that in more complex monitoring situations in which there is a scanning imperative successive tasks may have an advantage over their simultaneous counterparts.

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Multivariate Correlation Measures Reveal Structure and Strength of Brain–Body Physiological Networks at Rest and During Mental Stress

Frontiers in Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnins.2020.602584 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

Author(s):

Riccardo Pernice ◽

Yuri Antonacci ◽

Matteo Zanetti ◽

Alessandro Busacca ◽

Daniele Marinazzo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Sustained Attention ◽

Mental Stress ◽

Mental Arithmetic ◽

Physiological State ◽

Wearable Sensors ◽

Dynamic Interactions ◽

Attention Tasks ◽

Single Target ◽

Organ Systems

In this work, we extend to the multivariate case the classical correlation analysis used in the field of network physiology to probe dynamic interactions between organ systems in the human body. To this end, we define different correlation-based measures of the multivariate interaction (MI) within and between the brain and body subnetworks of the human physiological network, represented, respectively, by the time series of δ, θ, α, and β electroencephalographic (EEG) wave amplitudes, and of heart rate, respiration amplitude, and pulse arrival time (PAT) variability (η, ρ, π). MI is computed: (i) considering all variables in the two subnetworks to evaluate overall brain–body interactions; (ii) focusing on a single target variable and dissecting its global interaction with all other variables into contributions arising from the same subnetwork and from the other subnetwork; and (iii) considering two variables conditioned to all the others to infer the network topology. The framework is applied to the time series measured from the EEG, electrocardiographic (ECG), respiration, and blood volume pulse (BVP) signals recorded synchronously via wearable sensors in a group of healthy subjects monitored at rest and during mental arithmetic and sustained attention tasks. We find that the human physiological network is highly connected, with predominance of the links internal of each subnetwork (mainly η−ρ and δ−θ, θ−α, α−β), but also statistically significant interactions between the two subnetworks (mainly η−β and η−δ). MI values are often spatially heterogeneous across the scalp and are modulated by the physiological state, as indicated by the decrease of cardiorespiratory interactions during sustained attention and by the increase of brain–heart interactions and of brain–brain interactions at the frontal scalp regions during mental arithmetic. These findings illustrate the complex and multi-faceted structure of interactions manifested within and between different physiological systems and subsystems across different levels of mental stress.

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Individual Differences in Achievement Motivation are related to Vigilance Performance

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1541931213601807 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 1298-1302

Author(s):

Alexis R. Neigel ◽

Yu Miao ◽

Nicole Montagna ◽

Cristina A. Chirino ◽

James L. Szalma

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Individual Difference ◽

Achievement Motivation ◽

Sustained Attention ◽

Vigilance Task ◽

False Alarms ◽

Vigilance Performance ◽

Human Motivation ◽

Attention Tasks ◽

Attention Performance

Vigilance, or sustained attention, tasks require observers to attend to information over a prolonged period of time. One individual difference that may be associated with sustained attention performance is achievement motivation, given recent findings in the literature that indicate a relationship between human motivation and attention. Fifty-nine participants were randomly assigned to either a cognitive or sensory vigilance task. The present study indicated that individuals high in achievement motivation detected more critical signals and made fewer false alarms in the cognitive vigilance task. Participants high in achievement motivation in the cognitive condition also demonstrated some of the highest distress and worry scores post-task. Implications for sustained attention tasks are discussed.

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Event-Related Brain Dynamics in Continuous Sustained-Attention Tasks

Foundations of Augmented Cognition - Lecture Notes in Computer Science ◽

10.1007/978-3-540-73216-7_8 ◽

2007 ◽

pp. 65-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Ruey-Song Huang ◽

Tzyy-Ping Jung ◽

Scott Makeig

Keyword(s):

Sustained Attention ◽

Brain Dynamics ◽

Attention Tasks

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Performance in Vigilance Tasks is Related to Both State and Contextual Motivation

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1541931213601268 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 1145-1149 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alexis R. Dewar ◽

Nicholas W. Fraulini ◽

Victoria L. Claypoole ◽

James L. Szalma

Keyword(s):

Intrinsic Motivation ◽

Sustained Attention ◽

Vigilance Task ◽

False Alarms ◽

Time On Task ◽

Vigilance Decrement ◽

Vigilance Performance ◽

Task Instructions ◽

State Motivation

Vigilance, or sustained attention, is the ability to maintain attention to stimuli over a prolonged period of time. Synonymous with the study of sustained attention is the vigilance decrement, which is a decline in performance as a function of time on task. In the present study, we examined the effects of state motivation (i.e., motivation measured immediately prior to the task) and context-based motivation (i.e., motivation that stems from task instructions) on vigilance performance in a sensory-based vigilance task. Forty-three participants completed a 24-minute vigilance task, as well as measures of stress and workload. The results indicated that those higher in state intrinsic motivation and motivating instructions outperformed their peers in terms of hits and false alarms. We conclude that motivation may help facilitate vigilant attention.

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Exploring Sex Differences in Vigilance Performance with Knowledge of Results

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1071181319631130 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 1321-1325

Author(s):

Grace E. Waldfogle ◽

Michaela R. Hagerty-Koller ◽

Lindsey R. Lane ◽

Allison E. Garibaldi ◽

James L. Szalma

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Individual Differences ◽

Sustained Attention ◽

Vigilance Task ◽

Task Structure ◽

False Alarms ◽

Vigilance Performance ◽

Knowledge Of Results ◽

Sex Influence

Vigilance, also referred to as sustained attention, is the ability to maintain attention for extended periods of time while monitoring for, oftentimes, critical signals. In attempt to aid performance decrements in vigilance tasks, previous research has examined the effects of knowledge of results (KR). In essence, KR provides feedback on performance, and is argued to enhance the understanding of task structure and motivation to complete the task successfully. However, relatively little is known about how individual differences, such as observer sex, influence KR effects in vigilance. In the present study, 73 observers completed a 25-minute vigilance task in which they were required to monitor flight paths. Observers were randomly assigned to either a KR condition, in which feedback was given for correct detections, false alarms, and misses, or a control condition, where no feedback was provided. The results indicated that small sex differences were found for correct detections and false alarms, as a function of KR.

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The Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) Does Not Promote Mindlessness During Vigilance Performance

Human Factors The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society ◽

10.1177/0018720814537521 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (8) ◽

pp. 1364-1379 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Michael B. Dillard ◽

Joel S. Warm ◽

Gregory J. Funke ◽

Matthew E. Funke ◽

Victor S. Finomore ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sustained Attention ◽

Vigilance Performance ◽

Response Task

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Effects of Demand Transitions on Vigilance Performance and Perceived Workload

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193129503902104 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 39 (21) ◽

pp. 1375-1379 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Brian W. Moroney ◽

Joel S. Warm ◽

William N. Dember

Keyword(s):

Event Rate ◽

Mental Workload ◽

Task Demand ◽

Experimental Session ◽

Vigilance Performance ◽

Mental Demand ◽

Perceived Workload ◽

Nasa Tlx ◽

Low Levels ◽

Upper Level

This study examined the effects of transitions in task demand on vigilance performance and perceived mental workload. Task demand was manipulated through variations in background event rate–the rate of cascade of neutral events which must be monitored in order to detect critical signals. As is typical in vigilance research, overall performance varied inversely with event rate in all phases of the study. The post-transition performance of observers shifted from a fast-to-slow event rate (high-to-low task demand) remained below that of their continuous slow event rate controls, and was thus unaffected by the shift. In contrast, the post-transition performance of monitors shifted in the opposite direction, slow-to-fast event rate, was affected by the shift. In this case, the performance of the shifted observers fell below that of their continuous fast event rate controls. These results challenge prior findings indicating that psychophysical contrast is the representative outcome of shifts in information-processing demand in vigilance tasks (Krulewitz, Warm, & Wohl, 1975). Consistent with previous findings, workload scores, as indexed by the NASA-TLX, fell at the mid-to-upper level of the scale. Shifted observers who experienced both high and low levels of task demand during the vigil showed differences in composite ratings on the Mental Demand subscale. These results serve to caution that workload measurements obtained through the NASA-TLX at the end of an experimental session containing variations in task demand do not simply reflect an averaging of the observer's demand experiences.

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