Comprehension, memory and job performance between submariners and off-shore staffs: A comparative study / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the effects of submarine environment on the comprehension, memory and job performance of submariners through a comparative study. Methods: A cluster sampling method was used to select 141 submarine crew members from a submarine detachment, and 159 off-shore crew members from a submarine base were taken as the controls. The comprehension capability was examined with comprehension testing subscale of Wechsler adult intelligence scale-Chinese revised in the two groups, and the memory capability was examined with picture arrangement subscale of Wechsler memory scale-Chinese revised. The job performance was evaluated by hand coordination tester and finger flexity tester, and the results were compared between the two groups. Results: Comprehension test showed that the comprehension ability of submariners with a more than 5 years service experience was significantly lower than that of off-shore counterparts (t=4.67, P<0.01). In hand coordination test, the out track times were significantly more in submariners with a 3-5 and more than 5 years service experience than those in off-shore counterparts (Z= - 2.20, P<0.05; Z= - 2.21, P<0.05). In finger flexity test, the out track times was significantly more in submariners with a 3-5 and more than 5 years service experience than those in off-shore counterparts (Z= - 3.08, P<0.01; Z= - 4.52, P<0.01). Conclusion: Comprehension ability and job performance of submariners are lower than those of off-shore counterparts. Comprehension ability of submariners with a more than 5 years service experience is worse than that of off-shore counterparts. Job performance of submariners with a 3-5 or more than 5 years service experience is worse than that of off-shore counterpart. The submarine environment has no obvious influence on memory of submariners.