Effects of Whole and Partial Body Exposure to Dry Heat on Certain Performance Measures.
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects on four performance measures of air of 65.6C when the head was cooled with air of 15.6C and without head cooling. Six subjects were exposed for 66 minutes to these environmental stressors and to two benign control tests. Humidity for all tests was maintained at 10 mm Hg partial water vapor pressure. The performance measures were mental arithmetic accuracy, choice reaction time, position compensation tracking, and rate compensation tracking. The tasks were presented in a repeating sequence throughout preexposure and exposure tests. Performance on all tasks showed the effects of the passage of time related to the gradual onset of fatigue. Preexposure reaction time performance and rate compensation tracking were better in the afternoon than in the morning. Performance on all tasks except position compensation tracking was influenced by differences in subject arousal level and reaction time stimulus information level was particularly pronounced. No indication was found of a heat influence on tracking task performance. Head cooling did not exert a significant influence on either tracking task. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA100305
Entities
People
- John F. Courtright
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory