%0 Journal Article
%T The effect of a helmet on cognitive performance is, at worst, marginal: A controlled laboratory study
%J Applied ergonomics
%D 2014
%A Bogerd, Cornelis P.
%A Walker, Ian
%A Bruhwiler, Paul A.
%A Rossi, René Michel
%V 45
%N 3
%P 671-676
%X The present study looked at the effect of a helmet on cognitive performance under demanding conditions, so that small effects would become more detectible. Nineteen participants underwent 30 min of continuous visual vigilance, tracking, and auditory vigilance (VTT + AVT), while seated in a warm environment (27.2 (±0.6) °C, humidity 41 (±1)%, and 0.5 (±0.1) m s(-1) wind speed). The participants wore a helmet in one session and no helmet in the other, in random order. Comfort and temperature perception were measured at the end of each session. Helmet-wearing was associated with reduced comfort (p = 0.001) and increased temperature perception (p < 0.001), compared to not wearing a helmet. Just one out of nine cognitive parameters showed a significant effect of helmet-wearing (p = .032), disappearing in a post-hoc comparison. These results resolve previous disparate studies to suggest that, although helmets can be uncomfortable, any effect of wearing a helmet on cognitive performance is at worst marginal.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Elsevier Publishing
%@ 0003-6870
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2013.09.009