Self-estimates of distractibility as related to performance decrement on a task requiring sustained attention.

Increasing automation of air traffic control tasks may have the undesirable side effect of increased monotony as a result of the anticipated reduction in task demands. While the actual extent of increase in monotony resulting from such automation is not as yet known, it is known that performance during low task-load conditions is accompanied by declining attention. Since individuals who are unable to sustain attention under low task-load conditions would appear to be more likely to commit errors and less able to handle a sudden emergency situation, it would seem desirable to examine the characteristics of individuals unable to sustain attention under these conditions. In the present study, 50 subjects performed a monotonous, but perceptually demanding task, for approximately 30 minutes without rest. It was .found that high-distractibility subjects (as determined from a questionnaire administered prior to the experiment) showed increasing lapses of attention during performance, while low-distractibil-ity subjects failed to show any evidence of a decline in attention. Significant changes were obtained for respiration, respiration-period variability, heart-rate variability, and skin conductance during the task period, but the magnitude of these changes did not differ among the two distractibility groups. Increasing automation of air traffic control tasks may have the undesirable side effect of increased monotony as a result of the anticipated reduction in task demands. While the actual extent of increase in monotony resulting from such automation is not as yet known, it is known that performance during low task-load conditions is accompanied by declining attention. Since individuals who are unable to sustain attention under low task-load conditions would appear to be more likely to commit errors and less able to handle a sudden emergency situation, it would seem desirable to examine the characteristics of individuals unable to sustain attention under these conditions. In the present study, 50 subjects performed a monotonous, but perceptually demanding task, for approximately 30 minutes without rest. It was found that high-distractibility subjects (as determined from a questionnaire administered prior to the experiment) showed increasing lapses of attention during performance, while low-distractibil-ity subjects failed to show any evidence of a decline in attention. Significant changes were obtained for respiration, respiration-period variability, heart-rate variability, and skin conductance during the task period, but the magnitude of these changes did not differ among the two distractibility groups. Increasing a utomation of air traffic control tasks may have the undesirable side effect of increased monotony as a result …