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A Study of Computer-Based Task Performance Under Thermal Stress |
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| Authors: | Bradley Chase Waldemar Karwowski Michael E Benedict Peter M Quesada Holly M Irwin-Chase |
| Institution: | 1. Industrial &2. Systems Engineering, University of San Diego, CA, USAbchase@sandiego.edu;4. Center for Industrial Ergonomics, University of Louisville, KY, USA;5. U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA;6. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisville, KY, USA;7. Department of Psychology, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA, USA |
| Abstract: | A visual-visual dual computer task was designed to test the effect of the thermal environment on dual task performance. The temperatures selected for testing were 20 and 35 °C Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). 34 volunteers were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 temperature conditions. Individual differences in single task performance were controlled by equating the baselines of single task performance. Once individual differences in single task capacity were controlled, statistically significant differences in performance were demonstrated. Mean accuracy was computed over a 1-hr testing period in each temperature condition. Participants’ mean accuracy in the 35° condition (38.18%) was substantially lower than in the 20° condition (50.88%). |
| Keywords: | dual task thermal environment cognitive performance |