Monitoring Army Radio-Communications Networks at High Altitude

Abstract

2 experiments were conducted to determine the effects of high altitude atmospheres on the performance of a simulated Army radio-communication task. Ss monitored 2-hr. tapes of simulated radio traffic at 4 different altitudes (sea level, 13,000 ft., 15,000 ft., and 17,000 ft.). The results of Exp. I indicated a significant drop in performance above 13,000 ft. altitude. However, Exp. II, using highly motivated, radio-trained Ss showed no performance decrements up to 17,000 ft. The data suggest that high motivation and training can compensate for altitude stress on monitoring tasks of relatively short duration.