Human Performance: Cognition, Stress and Individual Differences

by Davies,D. Roy

• ISBN13: 9780415044073
• ISBN10: 0415044073
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2000-10-20
• Publisher: Psychology Pres

Summary

Human Performanceprovides the student and researcher with a comprehensive and accessible review of both performance in the real world, and essential cognitive science theory. Human Performancehas four main sections that cover both theoretical and practical issues: Section One outlines the perspective on performance offered by contemporary cognitive science, including information processing and neuroscience perspectives. Section Two presents a multi-leveled view of the performer as biological organism, information-processor and intentional agent. It reviews the development of the cognitive theory of performance through experimental studies and also looks at practical issues such as human error. Section Three reviews the impact of stress factors on performance such as noise, fatigue and illness. Section Four assesses individual and group differences in performance with accounts of ability,personality and aging.

Table of Contents

List of tables	xi
List of figures	xiii
Prologue	xvii
Introduction	1	(20)
What is performance psychology?	1	(2)
The historical roots of human performance psychology	3	(3)
The computational metaphor for performance	6	(6)
Applications of performance psychology	12	(6)
Conclusions	18	(3)
Further reading	19	(2)
Modelling the cognitive architecture	21	(24)
Cognitive models of performance	21	(3)
Fundamental constructs of cognitive models	24	(5)
Parallel processing models	29	(5)
The energetics of cognition: Capacity, resources and attention	34	(1)
Voluntary control and strategy	35	(4)
Biological bases for performance	39	(4)
Conclusions	43	(2)
Further reading	44	(1)
Key subsystems of the cognitive architecture	45	(22)
Introduction: Dividing the architecture into subsystems	45	(2)
Models for rapid response	47	(7)
Levels of control models	54	(5)
Models of memory for performance research	59	(4)
Working memory	63	(2)
Conclusions	65	(2)
Further reading	66	(1)
Selective attention	67	(20)
Basic issues	67	(3)
Early vs. late selection	70	(6)
Contemporary selection theories	76	(4)
Priming and selection	80	(5)
Conclusions	85	(2)
Further reading	85	(2)
Divided attention and workload	87	(20)
Introduction	87	(1)
Constraints on dual-task performance	88	(3)
Resource theories	91	(6)
Workload assessment	97	(3)
Task similarity and dual-task interference	100	(3)
The future of resource theory	103	(3)
Conclusions	106	(1)
Further reading	106	(1)
Vigilance and Sustained attention	107	(18)
The assessment of performance in vigilance situations	110	(3)
Task factors affecting vigilance performance	113	(4)
Theories of vigilance	117	(7)
Conclusions	124	(1)
Further reading	124	(1)
Skilled performance	125	(16)
The learning of skills	125	(3)
Theories of skill acquisition	128	(3)
Modelling skill acquisition using production systems	131	(3)
Motor and cognitive-motor skills	134	(5)
Conclusions	139	(2)
Further reading	139	(2)
Human error	141	(20)
Introduction	141	(1)
The human-machine interface	141	(6)
Approaches to human error	147	(3)
Errors and accidents	150	(5)
Individual differences in error proneness and accident liability	155	(4)
Conclusions	159	(2)
Further reading	160	(1)
Stress, arousal and performance: An introduction	161	(16)
Introduction	161	(1)
Stress and arousal	162	(2)
Arousal theory and the Yerkes-Dodson Law	164	(5)
Perspectives from Cognitive psychology	169	(2)
Motivation and stress	171	(3)
Stress and the active control of performance	174	(2)
Conclusions	176	(1)
Further reading	176	(1)
Noise and irrelevant speech	177	(16)
Introduction	177	(3)
Noise and performance	180	(3)
Mechanisms for noise effects on performance	183	(4)
Contextual and situational effects	187	(1)
Susceptibility to the effects of noise	188	(1)
Irrelevant speech	189	(2)
Conclusions	191	(2)
Further reading	192	(1)
Thermal stress and other physical stressors	193	(14)
Introduction	193	(1)
Heat and performance	194	(5)
Cold and performance	199	(3)
Perils of the workplace: Other physical stressors	202	(3)
Conclusions	205	(2)
Futher reading	206	(1)
Fatigue and the energetics of performance	207	(18)
Introduction: Fatigue and energetics	207	(1)
Task-induced fatigue	208	(4)
Sleep deprivation	212	(4)
Time of day and circadian rhythms	216	(6)
Theories of fatigue revisited	222	(2)
Conclusions	224	(1)
Further reading	224	(1)
Lifestyle and performance: Health, diet and drugs	225	(16)
Illness and performance	225	(2)
Acute illness: Colds and influenza	227	(1)
Chronic diseases	227	(3)
Nutrition	230	(2)
Drugs and performance	232	(1)
Alcohol and performance	233	(3)
Stimulants: Caffeine and nicotine	236	(4)
Conclusions	240	(1)
Further reading	240	(1)
Individual differences in ability and performance	241	(24)
Investigating individual differences	241	(2)
Dimensions of individual differences in performance	243	(3)
Cognitive foundations of ability	246	(5)
Group differences in ability	251	(4)
Individual differences in skill acquisition	255	(4)
Abilities in the real world	259	(3)
Conclusions	262	(3)
Further reading	263	(2)
Individual differences: Personality and mood	265	(22)
Introduction	265	(2)
Extraversion	267	(4)
Anxiety and neuroticism	271	(6)
Mood states	277	(2)
Personality and occupational performance	279	(2)
Personality, performance and adaptation to real-world environments	281	(3)
Conclusions	284	(3)
Further reading	285	(2)
Ageing and human performance	287	(24)
Introduction	287	(1)
Methodological considerations in research on ageing and human performance	288	(1)
Age and sensory performance	289	(3)
Age and response speed	292	(2)
Age and attention	294	(4)
Age and memory	298	(3)
Age and job performance	301	(5)
Theories of age differences in Performance	306	(3)
Conclusions	309	(2)
Further reading	309	(2)
Epilogue	311	(6)
The biological performer	311	(2)
The information-processing performer	313	(1)
The intentional performer	314	(1)
The future of human performance research	315	(2)
References	317	(56)
Author Index	373	(20)
Subject Index	393