APPLICATION OF ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES TO HUMAN PERFORMANCE: THE READING ASSESSOR - THE ALERTNESS INDICATOR.
Abstract
Reading assessor: The purpose was to develop a device to diagnose reading difficulties and provide a means of improving reading comprehension of Naval recruits in the use of manuals and instructional texts. One supposedly hazardous experimental artifact was always present in the experiments. This artifact turned out to be the newly discovered brain wave (the kappa rhythm) which seems to be associated with difficult recall. This new brain wave was superimposed on the eye movement records to the extent that valid electronic counting of the significant eye movements was impossible. The development of a reading assessor was abandoned. Alertness indicator: An individual's level of alertness was found to depend on his motivation, amount of sleep the previous night, boredom of the task, and the like. Experience with practically all subjects who exhibited an occasional state of unalertness to the point of dozing off showed that at the time of inattentiveness the biolectric output from the forehead region was at a very low level. Just previous to this low tension level certain oscillations in tension level occurred, reaching a high level then suddenly dropping to a low level. Field tests were made aboard a submarine, on a fatigue air flight, and on a truck driver.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1950
- Accession Number
- AD0639045
Entities
Organizations
- Tufts University