The Impact of Induced Stress Upon Multiple-Object Tracking: Research in Support of the Cognitive Readiness Initiative
Abstract
The ability to filter distracting information and selectively attend to relevant information is critical to effective performance on the battlefield. In addition to the cognitive processing burden imposed upon soldiers, the effects of stress upon soldier cognition and action must also be accounted for in evaluating individual warfighting capabilities. The current study examines the relationship between stress and cognition by measuring performance on a multiple-object tracking (MOT) task after exposure to stress-inducing photographs. Postexposure performance revealed significant decrements in MOT accuracy relative to pre-exposure measures and to a non-stressed control group. The stressed group also revealed greater scores on the anxiety, depression, hostility, dysphoria, and sensation seeking scales of the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist-Revised (MAACLR) relative to controls, indicating that the stimuli effectively stressed this subset of participants. The impact of stress on attentional selection has implications for warfighting effectiveness, especially in urban settings where non-combatants are interspersed with enemy targets.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA433136
Entities
People
- F. Morelli
- P. A. Burton
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory