The Air Force Research Laboratory has implemented and evaluated two brain-computer interfaces (BCI's) that translate the steadystate visual evoked response into a control signal for operating a physical device or computer program. In one approach, operators self-regulate the brain response; the other approach uses multiple evoked responses.

In 2 experiments, a 12-min computerized vigilance task was demonstrated to reproduce the vigilance decrement, high workload (NASA-TLX), and stressful character (Dundee Stress State Questionnaire) of vigilance tasks lasting 30 min or more. In Experiment 1, the abbreviated task was also shown to duplicate the signal salience effect, a major finding associated with long-duration vigilance tasks. Moreover, Experiment 2 showed that performance on the abbreviated task can be enhanced by caffeine - a drug that benefits long-duration tasks. This enhancement effect was limited to performance, however, suggesting that caffeine influences factors that control signal detection but not those that control task-induced stress. The results parallel those obtained with long-duration tasks and support a resource-depletion model of the vigilance decrement. The abbreviated task might be useful in situations in which long-duration tasks are precluded (e.g., performance assessment batteries, neuropsychological testing, and brain imaging).

Human factors professionals should be taught how to identify replications and to be cautious of research that has not been replicated.

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Distance estimation training with metric feedback may not generalize to other tasks and may even degrade performance on certain tasks. Future research must specify the conditions under which distance estimation training with metric feedback leads to performance improvements and decrements.