PERCEPTION AND ALERTNESS

Abstract

Many of the published results of laboratory studios of vigilance do not indicate what occurs in practical watchkeeping tasks. Thus, for example, the ‘ fatigue ’ effects which Mack worth studied intensively, are seldom found in the more important military watchkeeping tasks. Again the relationship between rate of stimulation and probability of response appears to be more nebulous in protracted practical tasks than it is in a closely controlled laboratory study such as Dcese's. Furthermore we find that performance in practical tasks is generally very poor compared with what seems to be theoretically possible. This effect can be seen also in some of the well known laboratory results, but there has been little discussion devoted to it.

This paper reformulates current ideas of perceptual organization in watchkeeping, and attempts to explain why there are discrepancies of the kind just mentioned. Particular emphasis is placed upon the typo of investigation which needs to be pursued in order to resolve present difficulties.