Influence of Observing Strategies and Stimulus Variables on Watchkeeping Performances

Abstract

Experiments were performed to determine whether an observing strategy of gazing straight ahead or scanning the visual field is superior when S's task involved reacting rapidly to readily observed onsets or offsets of a coloured light. A subsidiary goal of the experiments was to resolve conflicting results of past experiments as to the effects of colour, position, and onset or offset of signal light. The experiments clearly indicated that a strategy of gazing ahead is superior for this kind of signal, but results were still equivocal regarding the other effects. Implications of the data are discussed.