Alcohol, Task Difficulty, and Incentives in Drill Press Operation

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Abstract
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia Four levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), eight levels of task difficulty, and two incentive conditions were examined for their effect on hits and misses in a simulated drill press operation. Hits were defined as inserting the drill probe within a hole in a plate without touching the probe to the plate. Misses were defined as drill probe strokes in which the drill probe touched the plate. Task difficulty was defined by an adaptation of Fitts' Law. Incentive conditions for speed or accuracy were maintained using monetary reward. The BAC levels used were placebo, 0.03%, 0.06%, and 0.09%. There was a significant (p = 0.0001) effect of alcohol on hits, with a decrement of 12% and 19% at the 0.06% and 0.09% levels. Incentive conditions had a significant effect on both hits (p = 0.0002) and misses (p = 0.0001). Task difficulty also had significant effects on hits and misses (p = 0.0001). There was no evidence of meaningful interactions among these main effects, although some interactions were statistically significant.

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