Effects of Sustained Continuous Performance on Subjects Working Alone and in Pairs

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Abstract
Sustained continuous performance for up to 42 hr. was studied with 30 male volunteers. During each 10 min., subjects performed a tracking task, a pattern-memory task, an addition task, and provided subjective ratings on sleepiness and attention-fantasy scales plus a brief written description summarizing their thoughts. Of the 10 subjects required to work alone, 4 did not complete the 42 hr. and 9 experienced “psychological events” such as hallucinations, visual illusions, and disorientation. Of the 20 subjects who began the 42-hr. task in pairs, 5 did not complete the 42 hr. and 13 experienced similar psychological events. The percentage who did not complete the 42 hr. of the study and the incidence of psychological events were not significantly different for subjects working alone and in pairs. Performance results were very similar. No significant relationship of psychological events to any of the performance measures was demonstrated. These results indicate that continuous sustained performance produces rapid deterioration of performance and psychological disturbances, regardless of the presence or absence of social contact.

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