Some effects of infrasound on task performance

Some effects of moderate levels of infrasound on the performance of a complex task have been investigated using two experimental designs. A comparison between these effects and those due to alcohol, audio frequency noise, and combinations of infrasound-alcohol and alcohol-audio frequency noise is also presented. The complex task adopted for these experiments consisted of (a) a centrally located high priority pointer following task which had to be performed continuously and (b) the response to the onset of any one of four lights two of which were situated in front of the subject and two on his periphery of vision. The task was performed over a period of 36 minutes. Our results indicate that although performance in the infrasound condition does not suffer significant decrements in either the primary task or the central and peripheral components of the secondary task, the effects through time, both within the infrasound condition and in relation to the control, produce changes which are of a different nature to those of audible noise. In audible noise performance is maintained through time, whereas with infrasound and alcohol it appears to be degraded.