Effects of a biocybernetic system on vigilance performance

The present study was designed to determine whether a biocybernetic, adaptive system could enhance vigilance performance. Participants were asked to monitor the repetitive presentation of white bars on a computer screen for occasional increases in length. An index of task engagement was derived from participants' electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and was used to change the presentation rate of events among 3 values (6, 20, and 60 events/min). Under a negative feedback contingency, event rates increased if the engagement index decreased and, conversely, decreased if the index increased. Under positive feedback, the opposite contingency existed. Each experimental participant had a yoked control partner who received the same pattern of changes in event rates irrespective of his or her EEG activity. The results showed that better vigilance performance was obtained under negative feedback and that the performance of the yoked participants was similar to that of their experimental partners. These findings suggest that it may be possible to improve monitoring performance on critical activities such as air traffic control and radar and sonar operation through a pattern of event rate changes that do not rely on an operator's overt behavior.