ON THE MEASUREMENT OF DETERIORATION IN PERFORMANCE CAUSED BY DISTRACTION STRESS

Abstract This study is a first step to a closer quantitative description of the step-by-step deterioration in performance of complex behaviour patterns that can be brought about by increasingly occupying the subject mentally with another task to which he has to give preference. This method may be regarded as providing ’ distraction stress ’ The task to which preference had to be given (Primary Task) consisted of pressing a pedal at the left or right in response respectively to a low and a high tone presented in random order through earphones. The Secondary Task consisted of placing rods into holes. Different conditions of Secondary Task were chosen in order to compare measures of the impairment caused by the Primary Task to movement, positioning and the making of choices in the Secondary. When the Secondary Task required only movement or movement and positioning, the effect of the Primary Task was mainly expressed in slower performance. When the Secondary Task also required choices at be made errors also ...