Frequency Of Task Performance Research Articles

Occupational Experience Effects on Physiological and Perceptual Responses of Common Soldiering Tasks.

Cohen BS, Redmond JE, Haven CC, Foulis SA, Canino MC, Frykman PN, Sharp MA. Occupational Experience Effects on Physiological and Perceptual Responses of Common Soldiering Tasks. J Strength Cond Res 37(4): 894-901, 2023-This study measured the impact of occupational experience (i.e., time spent deployed, in military service, and in job and task performance frequency in training, deployment, and study practice) on the physiological (heart rate [HR] and oxygen consumption [VO 2 ]) and perceptual (rate of perceived exertion [RPE]) responses to performance of critical physically demanding tasks (CPDTs). Five CPDTs (road march, build a fighting position, move under fire, evacuate a casualty, and drag a casualty to safety), common to all soldiers, were performed by 237 active duty soldiers. Linear regression models examined the association between measures of experience and physiological and perceptual performance responses to task demands. The level of significance was adjusted for multiple comparisons and set at ρ ≤ 0.0125 for this study. Significant and notable effect sizes included the impact of time spent deployed on the physiological measures of the road march (PostHR F = 24.84, p < 0.0001, β=-9.65), sandbag fill (PostHR F = 8.26, p = 0.005, β = -2.83), and sandbag carry (MeanHR F = 7.51, p = 0.007, β = -1.12; PostHR F = 7.35, p = 0.007, β = -0.87). For the road march task, there was a nearly 10 bpm decrease in postperformance HR for every year spent deployed. Road march, sandbag fill, and sandbag carry tasks PostHRs were also notably negatively associated with the experience measures of time in their MOS (job and time in military service but not for other physiological and perceptual responses, including VO 2 and RPE. Frequency of task performance in training, deployment, and study practice was not meaningfully associated with experience. The results suggest that increasing task familiarization through on-the-job occupational operational experience may result in greater proficiency and reduced physiological effort.

Dual-task decrements in driving performance: The impact of task type, working memory, and the frequency of task performance

Driving while carrying out another (secondary) task interferes with performance, though the degree of interference may vary between tasks and individual drivers. In this study, we focused on two potentially interrelated individual difference variables that may play a role in determining dual-task interference: working memory capacity and the driver’s experience with the relevant secondary task. We used a driving simulator to measure interference, comparing single-task performance (driving alone) with driving performance during three secondary tasks: conversing on a handsfree cellphone, texting, and selecting a song on a touchscreen Mp3 player. Drivers also rated the difficulty of driving while carrying out each secondary task. For the individual difference variables, working memory was measured using the Operation Span test (OSPAN), and experience was assessed in terms of self-reported daily driving exposure and exposure to the relevant secondary tasks (frequency, duration). Overall, we found evidence of dual-task interference, though interference varied between tasks; the texting and Mp3 tasks produced significantly more interference than handsfree cellphone conversation. For the texting and Mp3 song selection tasks, interference was apparent in terms of increased steering variability, but for the Mp3 task there was also compensatory slowing, with drivers slowing down while carrying out the task. OSPAN performance and daily driving exposure were both covariates in predicting the amount of dual-task interference. However, our results suggest that in all but two cases, both involving the texting task, the effects of the OSPAN and the driving and secondary task exposure variables were independent rather than interrelated.

Practice of and Barriers to Prevention by Secondary School Athletic Trainers

Purpose: Prevention is a key aspect of care from athletic trainers. There is limited research on the practice strategies employed to prevent injury by secondary school athletic trainers (SSATs). The purpose of this study was to describe the prevention practice strategies and barriers faced by secondary school athletic trainers. Methods: Athletic trainers (n=3010) were recruited from secondary schools through e-mails provided by the national professional organization database. Secondary school athletic trainers were surveyed on their self-reported prevention practices and barriers using a web-based survey platform. Respondents were 28±3 years, predominantly female (n=260/359, 72.4%), with about 5 years (±2yrs) of clinical experience. The survey contained prevention strategies items with tasks from Domain 1 of the Board of Certification Role Delineation Study (6th ed.) that relates to athletic training clinical practice. Barrier items were developed from previous literature about implementing evidence-based practice strategies. Partial data (completion rate=359/473, 75.9%) was used for the analyses. Data were analyzed by using frequencies, medians with percentiles, means, and standard deviations. Results: The least frequently practiced environmental illness monitoring techniques and addressing patient-specific nutritional needs were identified. In contrast, secondary school athletic trainers most frequently practiced compliance for both equipment maintenance and maintaining a clean facility. The most common ‘always practiced’ skills align with Task 102, 103, and 104 in Domain 1 of the Board of Certification Role Delineation Study. These include pre-participation and screening, personal protective equipment, and maintaining treatment and rehabilitation areas through regulatory standards. A lack of time, workload, player compliance, available space, and coach support were the most commonly cited barriers to prevention practice. Conclusions: Overall, secondary school athletic trainers engaged in prevention strategies frequently, yet external factors were barriers to implementation. The consistent and continual practice of prevention skills are essential to risk mitigation. As a result, always practicing the skill is essential and should not be completed as an occasional duty of the athletic training. As many prevention strategies are required for all patient encounters, the frequency of task performance must improve for clinical practice.

Neurologic and reproductive effects of solvents on automotive repair workers: Assessment of Exposure for the Bay Area Solvent Study (BASS)

Background: Peripheral neuropathy was diagnosed in automotive technicians visiting an occupational health clinic, although subsequent measurements indicated exposures to n-hexane, used for cleaning, were low. Furthermore, animal studies suggest n-hexane may also cause testicular toxicity. Aims: This epidemiologic study aims to investigate neurologic and reproductive effects of solvents on automotive repair workers. Methods: Industrial hygienists evaluated work practices of automechanics through site-visits, air measurements, and interviews to prepare questions about the frequency of task performance, work practices, and products used for an occupational history. Participants were recruited from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Clinical exams included tests for peripheral neuropathy, neurocognitive effects, color discrimination, time to pregnancy, and urinary reproductive hormonal metabolites. Results: The 835 participants who visited the BASS clinic for a two hour interview and examination had worked over 3,000 jobs at 1,952 shops. Algorithms were developed to estimate solvent exposures in each year (average intake of solvents each day) by integrating self-reported frequency of performing tasks (e.g., use of aerosol spray cans and solvent tanks) with MSDSs, measured and modeled airborne concentrations and estimates of dermal absorption. Major changes occurred in source of exposures over time, e.g., cleaning with solvent tanks accounted for 71% of solvent exposures in the 1960s, 30% in 2000-04, but only 7% in 2005-2012; concomitantly, exposures from aerosol cans rose from 23% to 64% and then 84%, and composition changed dramatically, notably for hexane and perchloroethylene. Conclusions: Work histories were more complex than indicated in the pilot of 39 mechanics. Exposures were significantly affected by temporal trends in cleaning methods, composition of materials, and work practices. Epidemiologic studies must account for these changes.

Inner City, Middle-Aged African Americans Have Excess Frank and Subclinical Disability

Healthy People 2010 seeks to decrease or eliminate the health disparities experienced by disadvantaged minority groups. African American Health (AAH) is a population-based panel study of community-dwelling African Americans born between 1936 and 1950 from two strata. The first encompasses a poor, inner city area, and the second involves a suburban population with higher socioeconomic status. The authors recruited 998 participants (76% recruitment). Frank disability was assessed for 25 tasks and defined as inability or difficulty performing that task. Subclinical disability was assessed for 12 tasks and defined as no difficulty but a change in either manner or frequency of task performance. Frank disability prevalences were compared with national data for community-dwelling non-Hispanic white persons (NHW) and African American persons in the same age range. Compared with the suburban sample, the inner city group had a higher prevalence of frank disability for all 25 tasks (p<.05 for 16) and subclinical disability for 11 of the 12 tasks (p<.05 for 5). Both strata had more frank disability compared with the national NHW population. The inner city area had higher frank disability proportions than did the national African American sample, whereas the suburban group had similar disability levels. The AAH inner city group experiences more frank disability than other populations of African Americans and NHWs. The increased prevalence of subclinical disability in the inner city group compared with the suburban group suggests that the disparity in frank disability will continue. These findings indicate that African Americans living in poor inner city areas in particular need intensive and targeted clinical and public health efforts.

Development of an Instrument for the Analysis of Problem Gambling Counselling Practice

This article provides an overview of the development and validation of a Counsellor Task Analysis (Problem Gambling) [CTA (PG)] instrument undertaken in order to document the activities of counsellors in problem gambling services. The CTA (PG) aims to provide a broad overview of the complexity of the counsellor's role; specify the range of tasks they perform; and document the relationship between the frequency of task performance and the counsellor's beliefs about the importance of the tasks performed. The CTA (PG) instrument addresses nine dimensions of practice activity through nine subscales, all of which demonstrate internal consistency. It appears to be a strong instrument in terms of its measurement error characteristics for recommending its use with counsellors engaged in the field of gambling. The CTA (PG) gives counsellors the opportunity to document their practice and theories in use when dealing with a problem gambler, a member of the problem gambler's family and the community at large. The psychometric findings reported in this article should be viewed as the preliminary results of an ongoing research effort and further psychometric testing is anticipated.

Expanding the Training Evaluation Criterion Space: Cross Aircraft Convergence and Lessons Learned From Evaluation of the Air Force Mission Ready Technician Program

This study reports the analyses of data collected from an evaluation effort for 2 Mission Ready Technician (MRT) training programs for C-141 transport and F-16 fighter aircraft crew chiefs. We obtained ratings from over 100 trainees in each program, as well as from their trainers and supervisors, both during training and in the field via survey. The goal of this research was to explore the criterion space set up for this evaluation. Whereas past evaluation research has explored task difficulty, frequency, and importance, this research explores an expanded criterion space, including task confidence, task performance, task difficulty, and task frequency. Descriptive statistics, predictive regressions, and exploratory factor analyses are reported. We conclude that the data show a similar factor structure for both aircraft and that MRT frequency of task performance and confidence ratings are highly predictive of field performance. A major implication is that one way to optimize the effectiveness of training is to emphasize the development of trainee confidence at a relatively micro level, such as the task level.

Self-reported preclinical disability identifies older women with early declines in performance and early disease

There appears to be a preclinical stage of physical disability which precedes onset of task difficulty (disability) in those who develop disability progressively as a result of chronic disease. Such a stage provides a basis for identifying older adults at risk of becoming disabled. This cross-sectional study evaluated whether a preclinical stage of physical function identified by self-report is associated with decrements in objective physical performance measures or increases in disease; that is, whether these measures, in those with preclinical disability, are intermediate between individuals who report no difficulty and no preclinical changes and those who report difficulty. The Women's Health and Aging Study II, an observational study of 436 women 70–80 years of age who were among the two-thirds least disabled living in the community. Participants were sampled from the HCFA Medicare eligibility lists and were determined eligible if they reported no difficulty, or difficulty in only one of four domains of physical function: mobility, upper extremity, IADL and ADL tasks. At the first follow-up (18 months after baseline), participants completed questionnaires on physical functioning for tasks in each of these domains, with possible answer options for each task: they had (1) difficulty (disabled); (2) no difficulty and no modification of task performance (High Function); or (3) no difficulty but reported modification and/or change in frequency of task performance (a self-report measure of preclinical disability predictive of incident difficulty). At the same visit, standardized, objective measures of function and disease were obtained, including measured walk; chair stands; strength: hip flexion, knee extension, ankle dorsiflexion, and grip; balance: function reach, single leg stand, tandem stand; joint exam: hip pain on passive motion and knee pain or tenderness; spirometry; ankle:arm blood pressure ratio; visual function: acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereopsis; and graded treadmill exercise test. Data were analyzed from the first follow-up examination. Physical performance decreased, and disease frequency increased, in association with decreasing self-reported mobility function (in walking one-half mile and climbing 10 steps), across three self-report categories: High Function, Preclinical Disability (Task Modification but No Difficulty) and Disability (Difficulty). These findings pertained for measures of walking speed, balance, strength, and knee and hip osteoarthritis. Self-reported level of function predicted differences in ranges as well as means for walking speed, balance and strength. These findings indicate a physiologic basis for self-reported function, including preclinical disability, specifically that different levels of disease severity, impairments and physical performance are concurrently associated with different categories of self-reported function. They also suggest new avenues for screening and intervention to prevent disability.

Division of labor among a cohort of young individuals in a primitively eusocial wasp

Age polyethism has recently been demonstrated in the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata, and it has been shown that workers allocate tasks based more on their relative age rather than on their absolute age, thus providing flexibility to division of labor. The flexibility of division of labor and the respective roles of absolute and relative ages is further evaluated here by creating colonies of only young individuals (young-cohort colonies). The results show that workers in young-cohort colonies can forage at an earlier age, in larger numbers and with a higher probability and frequency. This confirms that division of labor in the colony can indeed be independent of absolute age. The results also show that relative age governs the probability of task performance while absolute age governs the frequency of task performance. The constraints posed by absolute age in the organization of work in an insect colony and the flexibility lent to it by relative age are discussed.

Task analysis of Air Force pharmacy practice.

The frequency with which United States Air Force pharmacists perform specific professional tasks and the pharmacists' views as to the importance of those tasks were studied. A questionnaire was prepared that asked recipients to rate each of 36 tasks selected as representing the spectrum of practice activities. There were four categories of tasks: managerial tasks, dispensing tasks, drug information tasks, and patient care tasks. Recipients rated the tasks with respect to frequency of performance and importance on separate 6-point scales. The questionnaire was mailed in May 1991 to the 225 pharmacists then serving in the Air Force worldwide. Of the 225 questionnaires, 150 usable questionnaires were returned (response rate, 67%). All the tasks in the survey were performed by at least one Air Force pharmacy officer, although the frequency of task performance varied. In particular, the frequency of many patient care tasks was low. All the tasks were perceived to have some importance, but drug information tasks were rated as being significantly more important than tasks in the other categories; patient care tasks were rated lowest in importance. The results varied with the respondents' demographic characteristics. Pharmacy officers with more years of service, more senior positions, higher rank, or an advanced degree in a field other than pharmacy tended to give responses that diverged from those of the population. A 1991 survey showed an awareness among Air Force pharmacists of the need to orient practice around patient care; however, they were not spending substantial time on patient care and tended to view it as less important than more traditional pharmacy tasks.

Managerial activities, competence and effectiveness: manager and subordinate perceptions

Abstract Using a typology of managerial behaviour developed by Luthans et al. (1988), manager and subordinate perceptions of managerial activities were obtained to ascertain the links between performance of these activities and perceived managerial effectiveness. Frequency of task performance was essentially unrelated to perceived competence, but how well managers performed in various tasks (particularly motivation and reinforcement of subordinates, and decision making) predicted subordinate ratings of managerial competence. Disciplining and planning emerged as the most prominent contributors to subordinate ratings of section effectiveness. Consistent with Luthans' model of managerial effectiveness, perceived quality and quantity of section functioning were linked with different managerial behaviours. These findings support the utilization of Luthans' typology and highlight the importance of examining the differential impact of a range of manager activities on different facets of organizational effectiven...

The Roles and Functions of Rehabilitation Specialists in the Private Sector

A national survey was conducted in order to identify the roles and functions of rehabilitation specialists working in the private sector. Participants consisted of 155 randomly selected members of the National Association of Rehabilitation Professionals in the Private Sector (NARPPS) who employed or worked with an additional 695 rehabilitation specialists, such that, a total of 850 persons participated in the survey. Participants were mailed the Rehabilitation Specialist Task Inventory (RSTI) which was developed for this investigation. A total of 283 persons responded which yielded 254 usable questionnaires which represented responses from 84 graduates of accredited rehabilitation programs, 50 rehabilitation nurses, and 120 other private rehabilitation practitioners. Factor analysis of the RSTl revealed 122 tasks distributed across five major work role categories: (1) Planning and Coordinating Client Services, (2) Business and Office Management, (3) Job Development and Placement, (4) Diagnostic Assessment, and (5) Other Professional Activities. Rational sorting of the items contained in the first three work role categories yielded 15 sub-groupings; six in the first, four in the second, and five in the third category. Data were analyzed for the five work role categories, as well as for each task item, using one-way analysis of variance and Duncan's post hoc tests. Participants were also divided in terms of whether or not they were Certified Rehabilitation Counselors. The t statistic was used to compare responses between CRCs and Non-CRCs on the five work role categories. Results and their implications were discussed for the roles and functions of the three groups of private rehabilitation specialists, as well as for CRCs and Non-CRCs, relative to task importance and frequency of task performance.