Studies on the psychophysiology of boredom: Part I. The effect of 15 mgs. of benzedrine sulfate and 60 mgs. of ephedrine hydrochloride on blood pressure, report of boredom and other factors.
The effects of 15 mg. of benzedrine and 60 mg. of ephedrine hydrochloride were compared to those of a control with regard to blood pressure, pulse rate, pursuitmeter accuracy and certain subjective ratings of 10 subjects operating a pursuitmeter for 2 hrs. The 15 mg. of benzedrine resulted in an increased systolic pressure and heart rate and retarded the development of an unfavorable attitude toward the pursuit task. The 60 mg. of ephedrine hydrochloride caused an increase in systolic pressure and had a negligible effect on the heart rate. Its effect on the attitude toward the pursuit work was weaker and more transient than that of benzedrine. A depression was observed in some of the psychological indices toward the latter part of the work period, which had no correlate in the physiological measures used.