Effects of authoritarianism on vigilance performance

Abstract

An experiment was performed on the effects of authoritarian monitoring conditions upon vigilance performance. Two groups of 20 Ss each were employed. One group worked at a light monitoring task for a period of 135 min. without rest and alone. The second group worked at the same task for the same amount of time but was observed by either a commissioned or noncommissioned officer according to a random visiting schedule. Signal rate was 12 signals per hr. The results indicated a highly significant facilitation of detection performance resulting from observation by the officers. It was suggested that these conditions represent an extreme point along a dimension of perceived threat to the monitor. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)