Methodology in the measurement of complex human performance : two-dimensional compensatory tracking.

OAM report.PDFTech ReportFAA-AM-72-21DOT/FAA/AM-72/21Performance testsMotor skillsAbilitiesMonitoringProblem solvingAir traffic controllersWarning signalsReaction timeArithmeticDetection and identificationReliability (Statistics)Analysis of varianceAttentionWorkloadStatistical analysisHuman subject testingUnited StatesCivil Aerospace Medical InstituteJennings, Alan E.Chiles, W. DeanWest, GeorgettaCivil Aeromedical InstituteUnited States. Office of Aviation MedicineNTL-AVIATION-Air Traffic ControlNTL-AVIATION-Aviation Human FactorsNTL-REFERENCES AND DIRECTORIES-StatisticsUS Transportation CollectionNineteen subjects were tested on two successive days on a complex performance device designed to measure functions of relevance to aircrew performance; included were measures of monitoring, information processing, pattern discrimination, and group problem solving. The effects of a perceptual-motor-tracking task were evaluated by measuring performance with and without concurrent tracking during five different task combinations and in a tracking-alone condition.The tracking task was shown to be reliable both when performed by itself and when performed concurrently with other tasks. The tracking task was also shown to be sensitive to work load effects from the other tasks and to impose a significant effect on some of the other tasks. The findings also suggest that a composite score based on all concurrently performed tasks may have unique value and sensitivity under some conditions