Independent Coactors May Improve Performance and Lower Workload: Viewing Vigilance Under Social Facilitation

Abstract

The use of coactors may be an avenue for organizations to consider utilizing to improve performance because of its relative cost-effectiveness and easy implementation.

The Effects of Event Rate on a Cognitive Vigilance Task

“…The present experiment sought to examine the effects of event rate on a successive cognitive vigilance task in order to afford further empirical evidence that the presentation rate of events can be used to manipulate task difficulty in cognitive-based vigils. Based on recent work (Claypoole & Szalma, 2018, in press) it was hypothesized that the cognitive vigil used in the present study would exhibit traditional performance decrements associated with sensory vigilance tasks as described by Warm et al (2008). Furthermore, it was postulated that an inverse relationship between performance and event rate would be observed, such that a high event rate would be associated with a larger performance decrement (See et al, 1995).…”

“…The procedure utilized in the present experiment was identical to the procedure reported by Claypoole and Szalma (2018). Observers were required to surrender any time pieces and cellular devices when they arrived to the laboratory.…”

“…As there is limited prior research that employs cognitive vigils, specifically those that manipulate event rate, it is unclear how the perceived workload and stress associated with cognitive-based vigilance tasks will be affected. Based on recent work (i.e., Claypoole & Szalma, 2018) it was hypothesized that the cognitive vigil used in the present experiment would impose high workload (i.e., Grier, 2015) and that the traditional pre-post task profile of stress would be observed (i.e., lower task engagement and worry, higher distress as a function of the vigil).…”

“…It has been previously argued that cognitive- and sensory-based vigilance tasks may differ in performance efficiency, such that although sensory vigils show consistent performance decrements, cognitive vigils tend to remain stable (Davies & Tune, 1969; Deaton & Parasuraman, 1993; Dember, Warm, Bowers, & Lanzetta, 1984; See et al, 1995). Furthermore, the vigilance increment has been associated with simultaneous cognitive vigilance tasks (Dember et al, 1984; Lysaght et al, 1984; See et al, 1995; Warm et al, 1984), whereas successive cognitive vigils have demonstrated typical performance decrements (Claypoole & Szalma, 2018, in press; Mouloua & Parasuraman, 1995).…”

“…The effects of event rate on cognitive vigilance are unclear. It has been suggested that the event rate effects may not occur in the presence of cognitive stimuli (Warm et al, 1976), especially when successive discrimination is required (See et al, 1995, but see Claypoole & Szalma, 2018; Mouloua & Parasuraman, 1995). However, it has been noted that simultaneous cognitive vigilance tasks have produced traditional event rate effects, such that the magnitude of the decrement is positively related to event rate (See et al, 1995).…”