An Exploratory Study Of The Psychological Effects Of Intermittent Exposure To Elevated Carbon Dioxide Levels,

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine whether any remarkable psychological changes occur as a result of intermittent exposure to 3% carbon dioxide for six days. The measures used to detect these effects were: (1) the Response Analysis Tester (RATER) which measures general vigilance; (2) single-digit addition test as a measure of problem-solving ability; (3) letter cancellation as a measure of eye-hand coordination and sequented reaction time; and (4) adjective checklist measures of depression, hostility, anxiety and general maladjustive trends. The data from this pilot study tentatively suggest that some emotional changes may occur during the six-day CO2 exposure period. On the other hand, vigilance, coordination and problem-solving ability probably do not change under the same conditions, although a more carefully controlled study involving a substantial subject sample is needed to demonstrate this fact. (Author)