PERFORMANCE RECOVERY FOLLOWING STARTLE: A LABORATORY APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF BEHAVIORAL RESPONSE TO SUDDEN AIRCRAFT EMERGENCIES
This paper deals with the use of response/recovery rate to auditory startle as a laboratory technique for simulating some of the principal aspects of the initial shock phase of sudden emergency situations. It is submitted that auditory startle, with its unexpectedness, pronounced autonomic reaction, fear-like subjective experience and frequent behavioral disruption, approximates the response pattern to be expected in the initial shock phase of sudden traumatic emergencies. By studying the time course of performance recovery following startle, as well as individual differences in response/recovery rate, a better understanding can be gained of some of the variables related to extreme reactions displayed by individual in real-life emergency situations. Research studies on performance impairment/recovery following startle are reviewed. These studies included those dealing with initial reaction time to the startle stimulus itself, disruption and recovery rate of perceptual-motor (tracking) performance following startle, and the time-course of performance recovery in information processing tasks after exposure to startle. Data are also presented showing a relationship of several individual difference variables to performance response/recovery following startle. These variables include autonomic response to the startle stimulus and level of task proficiency prior to startle.
- Record URL:
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Corporate Authors:
Federal Aviation Administration
Office of Aerospace Medicine, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC United States 20591 -
Authors:
- Thackray, R I
- Publication Date: 1988-8
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Figures; References;
- Pagination: 15 p.
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Aircraft operations; Behavior; Emergencies; Laboratory studies; Noise; Reaction time
- Uncontrolled Terms: Startle
- Subject Areas: Aviation; Environment; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00943508
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FAA/AM-88/4
- Files: TRIS, USDOT
- Created Date: Jun 3 2003 12:00AM