scholarly journals Theories of Vigilance and the Prospect of Cognitive Restoration

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 1639-1643
Author(s):  
Jace Flanagan ◽  
Dan Nathan-Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Resource Theory ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Vigilance Decrement ◽  
Cognitive Resource ◽  
Cognitive Resource Theory ◽  
Rest Breaks ◽  
Active Breaks ◽  
Over Time

Effectively mitigating the vigilance decrement (the decrease in performance on tasks requiring sustained attention over time) is one of the most important human factors problems studied today. Despite this, the underlying theory of vigilance and its failings are still disputed. The two primary theories espoused by researchers today are a cognitive resource theory of vigilance and a mindlessness theory of vigilance. This literature review examines the literature investigating points of conflict between these theories, revealing that the majority of experimental research supports a cognitive resource theory of vigilance. Additionally, we examine research investigating the effect of active rest breaks on cognitive and affective restoration. The literature available on cognitive restoration does not support the suggestion that active rest breaks help restore vigilance-relevant cognitive resources more effectively than passive rest breaks. The research does however, support the proposition that more active rest breaks can reduce stress and increase affect. The potential for increasing worker well-being with more active breaks warrants additional research.

Rest Is Still Best

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
William S. Helton ◽  
Paul N. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Vigilance Task ◽  
Resource Theory ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Vigilance Decrement ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Cognitive Resource ◽  
The Impact

Objective: We examined the impact task interruptions of differing qualitative and quantitative load have on visuospatial vigilance sensitivity. Background: The vigilance decrement and attempts to develop countermeasures to the decrement is one of the most important human factors issues. There is an ongoing debate between those who interpret the increase in the rate of failures to detect signals over time as being due to objective task monotony or task underload and those who interpret this increased failure proneness as being predominately due to cognitive-resource depletion and task overload. Method: Participants were assigned at random to one of six interruptions: Participants were given a complete rest (rest); participants completed a 1-back verbal working-memory (WM) task, a 3-back verbal WM task, a 1-back spatial WM task, or a 3-back spatial WM task; or participants performed the primary vigilance task (continuous). Results: Postinterruption performance was best for rest and worst for continuous. A resource theory perspective led us to make two possible predictions of relative interruption effect orders of the six conditions out of 720 possible orderings. We found one of the two orders. Conclusion: Overall, the vigilance sensitivity decrement appears to be due to the recurring use of particular cognitive resources, and resource theorists should explore this more extensively in the future. Application: Countermeasures for the vigilance decrement should be based on clear cognitive-resource considerations. Rest is the best countermeasure. Intervening tasks should be chosen that minimize resource-demand overlap with the vigilance task.

Research on the key perception points in the process of e-book selection

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 1053-1071
Author(s):  
Sisi Xing ◽  
Aidong Peng ◽  
Yihong Mao
Keyword(s):  
Great Influence ◽  
Utilization Rate ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Digital Reading ◽  
Book Selection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cognitive Resource ◽  
Cognitive Resource Theory ◽  
Digital Books ◽  
Reader Comments

Purpose This paper aims to propose some suggestions for libraries and other digital reading service institutions to improve the utilization rate of e-books, based on the theoretical and empirical analysis of the perception behaviour characteristics of e-book selection under the allocation of limited cognitive resources. Design/methodology/approach From the perspective of key perception points, this paper studies the key perception points of selecting e-books through the experimental method and explores the influence of subject factors (users’ characteristics, users’ needs) on users’ e-book perception behaviour. Findings College students have selective attention in the process of selecting e-books. They will choose some important contents of e-books, such as title, book introduction, author, catalogue, reader comments, others’ recommendations, read leaderboard, to perceive and there is an obvious difference in perception intensity. Different personal traits and reading needs have a great influence on users’ perception points. Libraries and other digital reading service institutions should provide promotion information based on key perception points of e-books, develop personalized e-book service and promotion and optimize the expression of key perception points of e-books. Originality/value This paper presents a valuable study attempting to introduce cognitive resource theory into the field of digital reading service, which proves that users also have limited cognitive resource allocation in the process of selecting digital books.

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