Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (PETER): evaluation of 114 measures.

The goal of the Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (PETER) Program was to identify a set of measures of human capabilities for use in the study of environmental and other time-course effects. 114 measures studied in the PETER Program were evaluated and categorized into four groups based upon task stability and task definition. The Recommended category contained 30 measures that clearly obtained total stabilization and had an acceptable level of reliability efficiency. The Acceptable-But-Redundant category contained 15 measures. The 37 measures in the Marginal category, which included an inordinate number of slope and other derived measures, usually had desirable features which were outweighed by faults. The 32 measures in the Unacceptable category had either differential instability or weak reliability efficiency. It is our opinion that the 30 measures in the Recommended category should be given first consideration for environmental research applications. Further, it is recommended that information pertaining to preexperimental practice requirements and stabilized reliabilities should be utilized in repeated-measures environmental studies.

Performance evaluation tests for environmental research (PETER): code substitution test.

The effects of repeated testing on code substitution performance were studied in three experiments to determine reliability and stability of task performance under laboratory and at-sea conditions. In Exp. 1, a single 2-min. testing trial per day was administered to a group of 19 subjects for 15 consecutive weekdays. In the second experiment a 4-min. per-day test was administered to 12 of the 19 original subjects for an additional 15 consecutive weekdays. In Exp. 3, six US Coast Guardsmen were tested hourly for four consecutive days, two days at dockside and two days at sea. In Exps. 1 and 2, means, variances, and cross-session correlations became stable after Day 8. Stabilized reliabilities were .75 for Exp. 1 and .80 for Exp. 2. The results of Exp. 3 were comparable to those obtained in the first two experiments with the exception that decrements in performance corresponding to high frequencies of motion sickness symptoms occurred during the at-sea trials. The Code Substitution Test is recommended for inclusion in the PETER battery.

Automated Portable Test (APT) System: overview and prospects.

The Automated Portable Test (APT) System is a notebook-sized, computer-based, human-performance and subjective-status assessment system. It is now being used in a wide range of environmental studies (e.g., simulator aftereffects, flight tests, drug effects, and hypoxia). Three questionnaires and 15 performance tests have been implemented, and the adaptation of 30 more tests is underway or is planned. The APT System is easily transportable, is inexpensive, and has the breadth of expansion options required for field and laboratory applications. The APT System is a powerful and expandable tool for human assessment in remote and unusual environments.

Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (PETER): critical tracking test.

A critical tracking test was considered for inclusion in the Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (PETER) Battery which was designed for use in unusual environments. Baseline measures were obtained by testing 18 subjects for 14 consecutive days. Mean performances increased but standard deviations were constant over the 14 days. Test-retest reliabilities improved over the first 8 days after which differential stability was seen. The implications for the use of this test in exotic environments are discussed. The critical tracking test is recommended as a good candidate for environmental research when practiced to total stability.

Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (PETER): Moran and computer batteries.

This investigation was directed at evaluating nine cognitive ability tasks for repeated measures applications and inclusion in the Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (PETER) battery. In the first study, five tasks from the Moran Battery, which were adapted from the French kit of factor-referenced tests, were administered to 18 subjects daily for 13 workdays. In the second study, four tasks from the Carter and Sbisa Computer Generated Battery were administered daily to 17 subjects (12 in common with first study) for 15 workdays. Examination of the means, variances, and interday reliabilities, together with factor analysis of the cross-task correlations, led to the recommendation of four tasks. Tasks recommended for repeated measures applications were Vertical Addition, Perceptual Speed, Grammatical Reasoning, and Flexibility of Closure.

Television computer games: a 'new look' in performance testing.

Work at the Naval Biodynamics Laboratory aims at developing a battery of performance evaluation tests for environmental research (PETER). Because repeated-measures designs are virtually universal in environmental studies, the paradigm focuses on stabilisation with practice; thus far, over 50 tasks have been studied. The present report describes how five computerized video games fare as performance tests. The tasks were performed for 3 weeks each, in the same order, by the same subjects. The results show that four out of the five games meet all criteria satisfactorily and one does not, a favorable showing for the video games in comparison with conventional tests of either the paper-and-pencil or apparatus types. In terms of availability, equipment reliability, expense, and other practical considerations, the video games have many advantages. It is concluded that video games have considerable promise for performance testing and other applied contexts.