Edwin A. Fleishman

Changes in factor structure of a complex psychomotor test as a function of practice

Scores obtained at eight different stages of practice on the Complex Coordination Test together with scores on 18 reference tests were subjected to a Thurstone Centroid Factor Analysis. Nine meaningful factors were identified in the experimental battery. The results indicated considerable, but systematic, changes in the factor structure of the Complex Coordination Test as practice on the task was continued. The test became less complex (factorially) as practice was continued. Moreover, there was a change in thenature of the factors contributing variance at early and later stages of practice. Implications of the findings are related to certain problems of learning theory, psychomotor test development, and criterion analysis.

A factor analysis of intra-task performance on two psychomotor tests

There are indications that even during the short time of administration of a single psychomotor test, the ability or abilities sampled may shift materially in importance. It then becomes important to know the stages in which these fluctuations occur, the stage at which the test is most complex, and the stage at which the test most nearly measures one ability at a time. This paper describes an application of factorial methods to this problem. Factor analysis of inter-trial correlations on two models of the Rudder Control Test revealed three factors, “Steadiness-Control,” “Precision of Movement,” and “Strength.” The same factor pattern was confirmed in a separate factor analysis on another sample in which the order of administration of the tests was reversed. Implications are pointed out for future psychomotor test development.

EVALUATION OF LABORATORY METHODS FOR THE STUDY OF DRIVER BEHAVIOR: RELATIONS BETWEEN SIMULATOR AND STREET PERFORMANCE

Road performance data on 304 taxi drivers were obtained by pairs of trained observers using behavioral checklists. Drivers did not know they were being observed. Two thirds of the drivers were then asked to participate in the laboratory study in which they performed on two different driving simulators and on four perceptual-motor tests. Officially recorded accidents and violations over a 5-year period were obtained for each driver for comparison with performance data. Few of the scores from the simulators or tests were found to be significantly correlated with road performance. A number of significant relations were found between perceptual-motor test performance and simulator performance. Although these correlations were not high, they tended to be more significant than those between all performance measures and officially recorded accident an correlated with simulator performance. Relations between all performance measures and officially recorded accident and violation data were low. Some significant predictors of certain classes of violations were achieved from road performance measures obtained in the study.

Ability requirements as a function of changes in the characteristics of an auditory signal identification task.

Abstract : The report describes the first study in a program of research dealing with the relationships between the characteristics of human tasks and the abilities required for task performance. The goal of the program is to generate principles which can be used to identify ability requirements from knowledge of the characteristics of a task and of variations in the conditions of task performance. Such knowledge has important implications for both selection and training of personnel. The study investigated the relationship between variations in an auditory signal identification task and consequent changes in the abilities related to identification performance. (Modified author abstract)