Abstract
A number of cognitive studies support the notion that task focus and mental workload fluctuation in human perceptual activities can be modeled on a dynamic basis in near real time. Few of these studies, however, involve the use of wearable technologies in naturalistic settings. Fewer still do so under conditions of high physiological stress like those encountered on steep slopes at high altitude in foreign environments. This study compares the behavior and cognitive state of photographers climbing to and descending from the vicinity of Everest Base Camp at altitudes approaching 18,000 feet. Ascent and descent activities were compared in terms of overall task engagement, cognitive workload, and behavioral components of the point and shoot decision paradigm involved in adventure photography. Results are discussed in the context of decision-making behavior typically associated with wilderness search and rescue activities carried out at high altitude in environmentally challenging environments.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Defense under the SMART Scholarship Program, and in part by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the context of robot assisted search and rescue. The author would like to extend an especially warm and profound expression of gratitude to Jonathan Miller, the Himalayan Workshop organization, and the Sherpa People across the globe for their amazing resilience and indomitable goodwill in the face of hardship and tragedy. Namaste’.
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Blitch, J.G. (2017). A Naturalistic Neurophysiological Assessment of Photographer Cognitive State in the Vicinity of Mount Everest. In: Salmon, P., Macquet, AC. (eds) Advances in Human Factors in Sports and Outdoor Recreation. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 496. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41953-4_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41953-4_2
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