Abstract
This Investigation evaluated the relative effects of a moderate or suboptimal level of environmental heat and noise stress on human stress and fatigue by utilizing performance and nonperformance parameters.
Twenty-five male undergraduate and graduate students served as subjects for this investigation. Each subject was isolated in a specially constructed environmental chamber located in a laboratory. Heat and noise were designated as the two independent variables used in the study. The effects of both variables on three dependent measures were evaluated during a nonstress condition and a stress condition. Two physiological variables, heart rate and heart rate variability, were used to assess arousal effects of heat and noise stress. In addition, performance data was collected in the form of reaction time to a visual display.
Analyses of physiological and performance data revealed the influential effects of the two environmental conditions tested. Heart rate and heart rate variability responses were found to be significantly higher in the moderate stress condition than in the nonstress condition. Furthermore, a statistically significant deterioration in performance was observed in the reaction time task. An increase in reaction time occurred when subjects were exposed to the moderate stress condition.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.