Changes in Reaction Times and Executive Decision-Making following Exposure to Waterborne Motion
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Authors
Shattuck, Nita Lewis
Shattuck, Lawrence G.
Smith, Kip
Matsangas, Panagiotis
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Date of Issue
2013
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Abstract
A unique mission of the U.S. Marine Corps is the amphibious assault landing. These missions require
transportation by small watercraft, exposing Marines to waterborne motion before landing. The timeliness
and accuracy of their decisions once the Marines debark may well determine the outcome of an entire
operation. This study assesses how warfighters’ performance is affected following exposure to waterborne
motion in an amphibious vehicle. Sixty-one Marines were evaluated in four conditions: following one, two
and three-hour exposures to waterborne motion and following a two-hour period in a stationary vehicle.
Testing included performance on an obstacle course, a marksmanship course, and a cognitive test battery.
Self-reported motion sickness levels were also assessed. Results showed no differences on the
marksmanship and obstacle course performance. However, after two and three hours of waterborne motion
exposure, Marines experienced reduced response times and poorer executive decision making as measured
using the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metric.
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Article
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Operations Research
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.