Establishing Selection Measures of Vigilance Performance

Vigilance, or the ability to maintain focus of attention and remain alert for prolonged periods of time, is a very important attribute for warfighters in today's technology-driven battlespace. Problematic is the fact that individuals vary widely in their ability to maintain vigilance performance over time. Thus, there is a need to select individuals based on their vigilance performance capability for specific job assignments. Many researchers have tried and failed in their attempt to develop tools for identifying individuals who can maintain high levels of vigilance performance. Some previous attempts did not benefit from guidance afforded by sound human performance theories, and they generally employed a singular approach toward predicting vigilance performance. Recent research indicates that vigilance is multidimensional and is correlated both with certain personality factors and the individual's response to stress and workload. Also, evidence suggests that long term vigilance performance is correlated with intense short-term performance on specific tasks. Taken together, these results suggest a multi-pronged approach to the development of a valid, inexpensive, and efficient vigilance selection battery that includes personality test elements, performance tasks, and cognitive workload/stress assessment. The primary product of Phase I is the design and demonstration of this battery.