Abstract
Twelve students of the University of Waterloo served as Ss in a psychomotor study of the influence of extraneous stimuli in the peripheral visual field. Individual differences in task performance also were examined in relation to the personality characteristics of extraversion and neuroticism. The presentation of irrelevant stimuli beyond the center of attention or visual focus was found to retard response to irregular signals for action but accuracy in responding to predictable signals was unaltered. Repeated testing under different interpolated rest schedules did not alter psychomotor performance. The stability of performance indicated that learning on the task was minimal. Since many drug and other treatment effects are best assessed by repeated testing of the same individual, it was suggested that this task could be a valuable device in such research, to evaluate treatment effects independent of learning. The evidence relating individual differences in performance to extraversion and to neuroticism was not conclusive, and some further research was suggested to clarify the questions raised by this study.
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