Regulation of the functional state of locomotive crew drivers using biofeedback training: factor analysis of experimental data

Abstract

Biofeedback based on electrodermal activity of the skin is used as a method for optimizing the functional state of drivers and assistant drivers of locomotive crews. High-quality inter-trip rest of locomotive crew drivers ensures the preservation of health, labor protection and higher indicators of professionally important psychophysiological qualities necessary for the successful performance of locomotive management activities. The purpose of this work is to determine the nature of the relationship between the relaxation abilities of locomotive crew drivers and their professionally important psychophysiological and personal qualities. The experiment was conducted on the basis of the office of the psychological service of the Motor Car depot in Minsk. A personal computer and the NeuroDog hardware and software complex were used as the equipment for the biofeedback training. A factor analysis of the primary empirical data of subjects who successfully developed the relaxation skill was performed. Factor analysis was carried out using the principal component method and the Varimax method available in the Statistica 10.0 package. The results of the analysis allowed us to determine the structure of psychophysiological and personal qualities of locomotive crew drivers, as well as the degree of their influence on the successful development of relaxation skills. The results obtained will later be used to develop a methodology for training drivers in relaxation skills in accordance with their individual characteristics and algorithms for its implementation in the context of the UPDK-MK hardware and software complex, used by the psychological service of the Belarusian railway to monitor the current state of functional systems of locomotive crew drivers.