Title

Development Of Microcomputer-Based Mental Acuity Tests

Authors

Authors

J. J. Turnage; R. S. Kennedy; M. G. Smith; D. R. Baltzley;N. E. Lane

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Ergonomics

Keywords

Performance; Alcohol; Test Battery; Cognition; Environmental Stress; Microcomputer Tests; Usaf Pilot Selection; Performance; Battery; Motor; Engineering, Industrial; Ergonomics; Psychology, Applied; Psychology

Abstract

Recent disasters have focused attention on performance problems due to the use of alcohol and controlled substances in the workplace. Environmental stressors such as thermal extremes, mixed gases, noise, motion, and vibration also have adverse effects on human performance and operator efficiency. However, the lack of a standardized, sensitive, human performance assessment battery has probably delayed the systematic study of the deleterious effects of various toxic chemicals and drugs at home and in the workplace. The collective goal of the research reported here is the development of a menu of tests embedded in a coherent package of hardware and software that may be useful in repeated-measures studies of a broad range of agents that can degrade human performance. A menu of 40 tests from the Automated Performance Test System (APTS) is described, and the series of interlocking studies supporting its development is reviewed. The APTS tests, which run on several versions of laptop portables and desktop personal computers, have been shown to be stable, reliable, and factorially rich, and to have predictive validities with holistic measures of intelligence and simulator performances. In addition, sensitivity studies have been conducted in which performance changes due to stressors, agents, and treatments were demonstrated. We believe that tests like those described here have prospective use as an adjunct to urine testing for the screening for performance loss of individuals who are granted access to workplaces and stations that impact public safety.

Journal Title

Ergonomics

Volume

35

Issue/Number

10

Publication Date

1-1-1992

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

1271

Last Page

1295

WOS Identifier

WOS:A1992JH06700007

ISSN

0014-0139

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