Declines in Auditory Vigilance during Periods of High Multiple-Task Activity

Abstract

Five, 5-man crews of AFROTC students performed an auditory-vigilance task 4 hr./day on each of 4 days while concurrently performing two other passive tasks and various combinations of three active tasks. In spite of the high level of multiple-task activity required, auditory-vigilance performance declined in the typical way during each 4-hr. duty period. This is interpreted as a demonstration of the inapplicability of an “activation-hypothesis” explanation of vigilance behavior.