Individual Differences in Stress Reaction
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Research in individual differences in performance has a long history, dating to the emergence of psychology and psychometrics itself (e.g., Cattell, Galton; see Boring, 1950). However, there has
been a disconnect between this tradition and that of experimental psychology (Cronbach, 1957). As
the origins of human factors and human performance research were in applications of experimental
psychology, the disconnect manifested in relatively limited scope of individual differences
research in human factors and ergonomics. At the same time, modern emphasis on human-centered
design raises questions regarding how the characteristics of the human interact with those of the
interface/task to influence system performance and operator well-being. In this chapter I hope to
demonstrate that a synthesis of Cronbach’s two disciplines (a rapprochement?) is possible and of
great importance for understanding performance under stress, and that an integrated framework,
based on cognitive science approaches, already exists and can be applied to human factors research
and design. I also discuss the implications of an individual differences approach for theories of
stress and performance and summarize empirical studies applying this perspective to the evaluation
of factors that influence performance, workload, and stress response in cognitive and perceptual
tasks. Finally, future directions for application of an individual differences perspective to human
factors research on performance under stress are discussed.
Author: James L. Szalma
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3118920802