The Effect of Spatial Disorientation on Working Memory and Mathematical Processing

http://www.usaarl.army.mil/TechReports/2011-08.pdf

The Effect of Spatial Disorientation on Working Memory and Mathematical Processing

Catherine M. Webb, Arthur Estrada, Amanda M. Kelley, John G. Ramiccio, Edna Rath, Efrem R. Reeves, Melinda E. Hill, Michael J. Crivello, Heber D. Jones

USAARL 2011-08
Previous research shows that participants exhibit impairments in spatial memory while experiencing various types of spatial disorientation (SD) in a laboratory environment. With regard to aviation-based SD, a pilot’s ability to think his/her way out of a dangerous situation may be impaired when disoriented. The present study assessed the effects of SD on cognitive functioning during simulated flight. Thirty-six UH-60 aviators participated in the study. Participants were asked to perform cognitive tests (presented aurally) as they performed oriented and disoriented flight conditions. Cognitive tests consisted of a digit span task as well as an addition task. Participants’ accuracy was significantly worse for the disoriented condition than the two oriented conditions for both cognitive tests. The current study provides support that SD can negatively impact cognitive performance. These results can be used to aid future cockpit display design and training techniques aimed at mitigating SD.


spatial disorientation, workload, cognition