Eleven private pilots (seven men and four women) were recruited and trained on the Multiple Task Performance Battery (MTPB), static and dynamic tracking of a localizer/glide slope instrument, and use of the Intoxilyzer. The experiment comprised four test sessions (vodka, bourbon, placebo, and control sessions) held at weekly intervals. Sessions began at about 5:00 p.m. and continued through midnight to about 11:00 a.m. the next day. Subjects were tested in groups of three or four and were not told whether they were drinking alcohol or placebo. The ordering of sessions was approximately counterbalanced. Subjects were given all tests in the evening (before and after a monitored dinner), drank prepared beverages from 8:30 p.m. to midnight, and were tested again. Subjects slept 4 to 5 hr. They were awakened around 7:00 a.m., fed, and asked to perform all tasks again, beginning at 8:00 a.m. (8 hr after they had finished drinking). Results showed clear deleterious effects of alcohol on the MTPB and the tracking tasks immediately following drinking. During the morning (hangover) tests, scores on the MTPB and on the static and dynamic tracking tasks showed small circadian effects (scores were better) without impairment due to the alcohol. There were no congener effects. These results offer no evidence contrary to the "8 hour rule."

Thirteen investigations were carried out as a part of an 8-year program of research on the performance effects of various work/rest schedules during confinement to a simulated aeorspace vehicle crew compartment. A total of 139 subjects were tested using a standard battery of performance tasks. The synthetic work approach used provided a reliable, face-valid, and sensitive technique for assessing complex operator performance. It was found that a man can work 12 hours per day on a 4-hours work/4-hours rest schedule for periods of at least 30 days. For shorter periods, a man can work 16 hours per day on a 4/2 schedule but at a significant cost to his reserves for meeting emergencies such as sleep loss. Circadian periodicities are found in psycho-physiological functions paralleled by similar periodicities in performance functions, the latter being subject to modification by special motivational instructions.

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Eleven subjects wore tested on a complex mental task during one-hour exposures to four different dry bulb/wet bulb temperature conditions: 85°/75°,900/800,95°/850 and IOoo/90°F. In a second experiment, ten subjects were tested at 85°/75°, 90 0/80 0 , 110°/90 0 and 120 0j90°F. In both experiments, differences in performance among the temperature conditions were small and not significant.