A MANUAL FOR ADAPTIVE TECHNIQUES.

Abstract : Adaptation in human tasks and man-machine systems occurs when a response is employed to modify the task, problem or stimulus. The method of adaptation developed and employed in the Dunlap and Associates, Inc. laboratories uses adjustment of an adaptive variable to keep a performance measurement constant. The adaptive variable can then be used as a new index of performance. The nature, history and usefulness of the Dunlap type of adaptive task or system are discussed. Guidelines for applying the technique in continuous and discrete tasks are developed, including four primary adaptive equations, and applications are described for the four forms of adaptive logic represented by these equations. Research studies directly relevant to the Dunlap adaptive technique are abstracted, and 66 references are listed. (Author)