Date of Award

Spring 1987

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Program/Concentration

Psychology

Committee Director

Glynn D. Coates

Committee Member

Raymond H. Kirby

Committee Member

Frederick G. Freeman

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.P65T56

Abstract

The effects of task difficulty on pupil diameter in a choice reaction time (CRT) task were investigated. Pupil diameter data were collected from 24 subjects using the NASA Langley Research Center oculometer system. Task difficulty was defined by the number of paired stimulus-response alternatives and stimulus-response compatibility. A unique S-R ensemble which required an oculometeric (eye-movement) response and graphic symbols as stimuli was employed in the CRT task. The procedures used replicated Hick's Law for the first time on an oculometer. The S-R compatibility effect was not found to influence this linear trend. The results indicated that pupil diameters for the 2 alternative condition were significantly different from the 4 and 8 alternative conditions; however, pupil diameters for these two were not significantly different from each other. These findings support the hypothesis that increases in task difficulty are accompanied by increases in pupil diameter.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/ar21-zm31

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS