SBIR-STTR Award

The human as a system component is most likely to fail under high workload which often is the time that failure is most catastrophic for the entire system. The proposed research attempts to expand our theoretical understanding of human information processing with particular reference to models of attention and high workload. Biocybernetic measure (p300 and heart rate) are used to provide converging operations to improve a hybrid processing model of attention formulated by Kantowitz and Knight (1976). An experiment based upon a modified psychological refractory period paradigm will be conducted with stimulus-response uncertainty and inter-stimulus interval as primary independent variables. The data analyses will examine relationships between behavioral and biocybernetic dependent variables as well as between heart rate and p300. The results will determine the feasibility of expanding this approach to timesharing paradigms. Ultimately, it is possible that biocybernetic measures of operator workload can be used in industrial settings, especially for on-line allocation of function.