Computers and human psychophysiological research

摘要

Across two decades of increasingly intense utilization of computers in psychophysiological research laboratories, three separate phases have occurred. The first involved pioneering efforts with often balky specialized instruments, the second included a much larger base of users working with general-purpose computers, and the third, now in progress, has seen a surge of interest in microcomputers equipped with highly versatile data acquisition interfaces and supporting software. Though there remain several major barriers which technology has yet to break, the computer has grown to occupy a critical position in modern psychophysiological research. The salient points in this historical development are examined, several positive future developments are sketched, and some general lessons for computerization in the behavioral sciences are noted.