The advent of microcomputer and electronic displays is changing the nature of everyday tasks. Many types of display make higher demands on switching back and forth between displays than on sustained inspection of a single display. There is evidence that temporal acuity describes a capability advantage for the new task demands. The availability of portable microcomputers, particularly battery-operated versions with rapid onset visual elements, may permit the assessment of these abilities. This research will determine whether a trait exists involving temporal acuity factors in perception. To do this, the research will implement paradigms dealing with theoretically disparate aspects of temporal as opposed to spatial factors, from various domains and conceptual models (viz., information processing, perception, and cognition) on such a portable microcomputer. The research will use for empirical studies methodologies that follow from mental test theory. The research will involve administration of a number of tasks to groups of individuals over several replications to determine: (1) the degree of stability and reliability of each test, (2) the number of unique factors evaluated by such tests, and (3) the relationship of any "new" factors to other "old" capabilities presently measurable and predictive of operational performance (e.g., scores on intelligence tests or tests of spatial perception). Phase II research will validate the factors which surfaced in Phase I against real-world performances of military persons, to determine predictive validity and variance accounted for, and permit generalization and unequivocal evaluation of the test properties. An off-the-shelf portable battery of temporal factors which stabilize rapidly will have important applications to selection. The results would further specify constructs which appear in theory to be related to a myriad of jobs. The traditional methods of testing can be improved to take into account abilities in speed of processing.
