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Science 1 March 1974:
Vol. 183. no. 4127, pp. 871 - 873
DOI: 10.1126/science.183.4127.871
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Articles

Operant Control of Occipital Theta Rhythm Affects Performance in a Radar Monitoring Task

Jackson Beatty 1, Arana Greenberg 1, W. Phillip Deibler 2, and James F. O'Hanlon 2

1 Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angles 90024
2 Human Factors Research, Inc., Goleta, California 93017

Detection efficiency of human observers deteriorates rapidly in monotonous monitoring tasks; this effect (the vigilance decrement) has been associated with increased theta band activity in the electroencephalogram. Suppression of theta activity by operant methods enhances monitoring efficiency, whereas theta augmentation further degrades task performance. These results demonstrate a lawful relationship between operantly regulated cortical activity and behavior in man.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Memory load and event rate control sensitivity decrements in sustained attention.
R Parasuraman (1979)
Science 205, 924-927
   Abstract »    PDF »
Self-Control of Occipital Theta Activity and Task Performance.
P. Williams, J. Beatty, and J. F. O'Hanlon (1975)
Science 188, 478-479
   PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)