A cognitive performance task for evaluation of human performance based on an extended Fitts' law paradigm

Summary form only given. A task involving an extension of the classical Fitts' law paradigm in a multidimensional sense is discussed. This type of task investigates the tradeoffs of speed to accuracy as humans perform tracking tasks. The Fitts' law paradigm is ideal for this research in the sense that it includes a metric to evaluate task difficulty as well as a measure of capacity (or baud rate) in the accomplishment of a task. Thus, a stressor may affect the capacity to perform a task (in a temporal sense) as well as increase the amount of errors that occur. Another advantage of using an extended Fitts' law paradigm is from the information contained in the errors. In this task, six types of errors illustrate when and what breaks down. Analysis of these errors indicates how the capacity is compromised as the subjects are exposed to multiple stress situations. Data from both a learning study and an exhaustion study on G stressors were obtained and used in the analysis.<>