Vigilance performance as a function of interpolated rest

Abstract

2 experiments were performed on the effects of interpolated rest upon monitoring performance at both high and low signal rates. Experiment I employed 2 groups of 20 Ss each; Experiment II employed 2 groups of 10 Ss each. One group of Ss worked on a light monitoring task for 3 30-min. periods separated by 10-min. rest periods. The 2nd group worked continuously for 90 min. on the same task. Experiment I employed 24 signals/hr.; Experiment II employed 6 signals/hr. The results indicated a highly significant facilitation of detection performance as a result of interpolated rest at both signal rates and demonstrate the effectiveness of relatively brief rest intervals in maintaining high performance even with low signal rates. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)