The Effects of Weather Sensitivity on Stressed Personnel

Abstract

Over the past decade or so the discipline of Behavioral Science has grown to include the study of biochemical effects on human behavior. In earlier days, behaviorists concerned themselves mostly with learning and conditioning phenomena, with motivation and attitude modification, and other forms of applied psychology that operated above eyebrow level. Now we are rapidly breaking new ground in the field of psychophysiology, in establishing mind/body interactions, and in developing an understanding of the important role of biochemistry in controlling brain activity--even at the level of emotional and social behavior. We are now engaged in exploring the effects on behavior of such environmental factors as light, color, energy fields (sferics) and sound. And we are finding that a great many behavioral phenomena which were formerly thought to be generated above eyebrow level, are actually triggered by sensory and subsensory stimuli from the external environment. This new class of subtle, external triggers is called Microbiological Environmental Affectors (MEA's), to distinguish them from primary chemical allergens--although the two groups often have similar effects. One of these MES's is the atmospheric ion factor, the effects of which were first observed in the context of human weather sensitivity; and the purpose of this paper is to describe how this particular factor may relate to the human factors and ergonomics of physical security.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1981
Accession Number
ADP002928

Entities

People

  • Charles Wallach

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Applied Psychology
  • Attrition
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Biochemistry
  • Electrons
  • Engineering
  • Environment
  • Human Behavior
  • Human Factors Engineering
  • Intrusion Detection
  • Measurement
  • Physical Security
  • Psychology
  • Psychophysiology
  • Reaction Time
  • Security
  • Standards

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

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