The effects of mild hypoxia on a logical reasoning task

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Human Performance

Background:

• Previous research suggested potential cognitive impairment at altitudes below 3,050 meters.
• Studies by Crow and Kelman (1969) and Denison et al. (1966) indicated performance decrements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate findings on altitude's effect on novel task performance.
• To investigate the impact of varying altitudes on logical reasoning.
• To differentiate between altitude effects and apprehension in performance.

Main Methods:

• 150 subjects were divided into five groups.
• Performance on a logical reasoning task was assessed.
• Groups were tested at ground level and in a decompression chamber at 305m, 2,440m, 3,050m, and 3,660m.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in speed and error rate were found between ground-level and chamber groups, attributed to apprehension.
• A significant increase in error rate was observed at 3,660m compared to other groups.
• No significant effect of altitude on learning the task was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• Apprehension, not altitude, was the primary factor influencing initial performance differences.
• While higher altitudes showed a slight increase in errors, it was not definitively linked to altitude itself.
• The study did not support the hypothesis that altitudes below 3,050m impair novel task performance.