Date of Award

Fall 2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Program/Concentration

Psychology

Committee Director

Mark W. Scerbo

Committee Member

Poornima Madhavan

Committee Member

Ivan Ash

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.P65 A496 2008

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of display complexity and cueing predictability on vigilance performance and measures of subjective stress and workload while monitoring maternal fetal heart rate (MFHR) signals. Seventy-two undergraduate students from Old Dominion University performed a simulated MFHR task and were randomly assigned to monitor one, two, or four displays for critical signals. Half of the participants received cues that were 83% reliable, and the other half received cues that were 55% reliable. Stress and workload were assessed before and after the vigil. It was hypothesized that detection ability would be lower, and the decrement would become more pronounced as the number of displays to be monitored increased and the reliability of cueing decreased. Perceived stress and workload were also expected to increase from pre-vigil to postvigil. Results showed that participants detected fewer critical signals as time on task progressed. Further, as the number of displays increased, correct detections decreased but did not interact with time. There were no differences between the cueing reliability conditions, but perceived stress and workload did increase from previgil to postvigil. These results show that under relatively ideal monitoring conditions, individuals struggle to detect critical changes in MFHR signals, and their difficulties increase over time. Moreover, these findings raise concerns about the ability of health care providers to monitor MFHR signals in genuine clinical settings.

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DOI

10.25777/ghjk-qf88

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