TY - GEN
T1 - Testing the efficiency and effectiveness of soldier performance under increasing task demand
AU - Burke, K. A.
AU - Szalma, J.
AU - Oron-Gilad, T.
AU - Duley, A.
AU - Hancock, P. A.
PY - 2005/1/1
Y1 - 2005/1/1
N2 - Combat is inherently a demanding situation which may increase stress, heighten arousal, and increase anxiety. The Processing Efficiency Theory (PET) was specifically developed to account for how anxiety influences performance. Therefore, the PET provides a potential theory to explain the positive and negative changes in performance in a combat environment. This study is the first attempt to examine PET in the military domain. Using the Small Arms Simulator Testbed (SAST), we investigated the relationship between processing efficiency and performance, considering mental workload, stress, and anxiety effects. Shooting performance effectiveness measures were target acquisition and friend/foe discrimination. Changes in processing efficiency were manipulated by varying degrees of working memory demand and sustained information transfer. The results indicated that shooting performance and processing efficiency, as well as mental workload demands, decreased as the global demand of both tasks increased. Further analyses for anxiety and stress and future directions are discussed.
AB - Combat is inherently a demanding situation which may increase stress, heighten arousal, and increase anxiety. The Processing Efficiency Theory (PET) was specifically developed to account for how anxiety influences performance. Therefore, the PET provides a potential theory to explain the positive and negative changes in performance in a combat environment. This study is the first attempt to examine PET in the military domain. Using the Small Arms Simulator Testbed (SAST), we investigated the relationship between processing efficiency and performance, considering mental workload, stress, and anxiety effects. Shooting performance effectiveness measures were target acquisition and friend/foe discrimination. Changes in processing efficiency were manipulated by varying degrees of working memory demand and sustained information transfer. The results indicated that shooting performance and processing efficiency, as well as mental workload demands, decreased as the global demand of both tasks increased. Further analyses for anxiety and stress and future directions are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=44349169396&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/154193120504902411
DO - 10.1177/154193120504902411
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:44349169396
SN - 094528926X
SN - 9780945289265
T3 - Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
SP - 2119
EP - 2123
BT - Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 49th Annual Meeting, HFES 2005
PB - Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Inc.
T2 - 49th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, HFES 2005
Y2 - 26 September 2005 through 30 September 2005
ER -