ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of submarine environment on the ability of attention focusing and distribution of submariners through a comparative study. Methods To measure simple reaction time, complex reaction time, correct times of reaction, the time on targets as well as the times out of track with attention focus measuring instrument (EP701C) and attention distribution measuring instrument(EP708A). Results In the attention focusing test, the times out of track of target was significantly more in submariners with a 3-5 years service experience compared with their off-shore counterparts(t=2.03,P<0.05). The time on targets was significantly shorter in submariners with a more than 5 years service experience compared with their off-shore counterparts(t=2.27,P<0.05), and the times out of track of target was significantly more in submariners (t=2.12,P<0.05). In the attention distribution test, the correct times of reaction in submariners with 3-5 years service was significantly less than their off-shore counterparts(Z=7.03,P<0.01), and the same was also true for those with a more than 5 years service experience(Z=7.74,P<0.01). Conclusion Our findings indicate that the attention abilities of submariners are lower than those of off-shore staffs, and 3-5 year service period is the important time for impairment of attention ability among submariners.
ABSTRACT
Neste estudo investigamos o ajuste dinâmico do foco atentivo em função de algumas características físicas de uma dica visual exógena. O primeiro experimento investigou o efeito da área delimitada por uma dica visual apresentada por diferentes intervalos entre estímulos (IEE). O segundo experimento investigou a disponibilidade dos recursos atentivos no meridiano horizontal e vertical do campo visual e o efeito de letras flanqueadoras apresentadas dentro e fora do foco atentivo. Os resultados do primeiro experimento sugerem que o foco da atenção pode ser mantido estável por um período superior a 500 ms, e que o tempo pelo qual os recursos atentivos podem permanecer estáveis é inversamente proporcional a sua área. Estes resultados também confirmam uma relação inversa entre o tamanho da área a ser atendida e a eficiência no processamento da informação. Os resultados do segundo experimento corroboram o efeito causado por letras flanqueadoras observado por outros autores (B. Eriksen & Eriksen, 1974; Miller, 1991), com um aumento do tempo de reação na presença da letra flanqueadora incompatível com o alvo. As letras flanqueadoras têm um efeito significativamente menor quando apresentadas fora da área delimitada pela dica visual. Este resultado indica uma ação atentiva inibitória fora da área de focalização. Além disso, observou-se uma possível assimetria na distribuição dos recursos inibitórios entre o meridiano horizontal e vertical do campo visual.
This study investigated the dynamic adjustment of the attention focusing in function of some physical characteristics of an exogenous visual cue. The first experiment investigated the effect of the area delimitated by a visual cue presented by different intervals between stimuli. The second experiment investigated the availability of attentional resources in the horizontal and vertical meridian of the visual field and the effect of flanking letters presented in and out of the attention focusing. The results of the first experiment suggest that the attention focusing may be kept stable for a period longer than 500 milliseconds and that the time through which the attention resources can remain stable is inversely proportional to their area. These results also corroborated an inverse relation between the size of the area to be fulfilled and the information processing efficiency. The results of the second experiment corroborated the effect caused by flanking letters observed by other authors (B. Ericksen & Ericksen, 1974; Miller, 1991) with an increase on the reaction time in the presence of the flanking letter incompatible with the target. Flanking letters have a significant smaller effect when presented out of the area delimitated by the visual cue. This result indicates an inhibitory attentional action out of the focusing area. Moreover, a possible asymmetry in the distribution of these inhibitory resources between the horizontal and vertical meridian of the visual field was also observed.