THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL ON THE DETECTION OF LIGHT SIGNALS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE VISUAL FIELD |
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| Authors: | J M von Wright Valde Mikkonen |
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| Institution: | Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland |
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| Abstract: | 6 subjects performed 12 times each a signal detection task lasting 40 minutes in parallel with a simple tracking task. They reported every 2nd second whether or not a signal was given in any one of 10 widely spaced locations. 0.5 or 1.0 ml alcohol/kg body weight (or no alcohol) was given 35–25 minutes prior to the task. Hit rate ( HR ) covaried with tracking efficiency; FAR was uniformly low. Variation in signal probability had no effect. Alcohol had a strong and uniform effect on 3 "experienced" subjects, reducing HR for all signals and producing a funneling effect, but had little effect on the performance of 3 "inexperienced" subjects. Motivational variables which may account for the individual differences are discussed. |
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