FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-73/14

Title and Subtitle: Personality and physiological correlates of performance decrement on a monotonous task requiring sustained attention

Report Date: December 1973

Authors: Thackray RI, Jones KN, Touchstone RM

Abstract: The reductions in task load resulting from the increasing automation of air traffic control may actually increase the requirement for controllers to maintain high levels of sustained attention in order to detect infrequent system malfunctions. A previous study indicated that individuals scoring high on a distractibility scale found it difficult to maintain sustained attention on a monotonous, but perceptually demanding, task.

The present study used the same serial reaction task to study other possible personality, as well as physiological, correlates of individual differences in performance decrement under low task-load conditions.

Key Words: Air Traffic Control, Attention, Extraversion, Heart Rate, Heart-Rate Variability, Impulsivity, Monotony, Vigilance

No. of Pages: 13