Abstract
Two experiments examined the feasibility of psychological assessment using interactive voice response (IVR) technology and the potential sensitivity of such assessments to alcohol and fatigue effects. In Experiment 1, 10 subjects performed a 12-min battery of six IVR-administered tasks, Monday through Friday, over 2 weeks. Minimal learning effects were evident during training. Repeated administrations indicated high test-retest reliabilities. In Experiment 2 (double-blind, alcohol/placebo crossover design), 7 subjects were tested every 2 h over a 24-h period during two experimental sessions (peak blood alcohol concentrations =80 mg/dL). Several IVR-administered tasks were sensitive to alcohol impairment, but not as sensitive as laboratory-based measures specifically designed to assess alcohol impairment. Little evidence for fatigue-related impairment was obtained. The results support optimism for the potential to assess psychomotor and cognitive functioning distally via telephony; however, further refinement and validation of the methods are needed.
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This research was supported by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Grant P01 AA07203 to M. W. P. The IVR tasks were programmed and the resulting database managed by Dan Walter. The authors thank Elizabeth Chamberlain, Donal Forgays, Mike George, Carroll Guitar, Gabrielle Kellogg, Chris Lussier, Pam McGonagle-Moulton, Will McGrath, Cindy Proulx, and C. J. Rairikar for their participation in the first experiment.
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Mundt, J.C., Kelleher, P.F., Perrine, M.W. et al. Psychological performance assessment via interactive voice response systems. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 29, 506–518 (1997). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210602
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210602