THE IMPACT OF WORKING ON PC WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFORMATION 
ON THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL STATE OF ADOLESCENTS

Dogurevich Ol'ga Aleksandrovna, Candidate of biological sciences, associate professor, sub-department of general biology and biochemistry, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), olga-dogurevich@rambler.ru
Sugrobova Galina Alekseevna, Candidate of biological sciences, associate professor, sub-department of general biology and biochemistry, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), sugrobovaga@mail.ru

612+159.922.7

10.21685/2307-9150-2017-4-5

Background. The lack of developed and proven methodologies for analyzing and controlling the psychophysiological state of students during their studies, which is mostly based on the use of information and communication technologies, is an urgent problem for pedagogy and developmental physiology. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of training on PCs (personal computers) and VDTs (visual display terminal) during computer science lessons at schools on the physiological status of adolescents.
Materials and methods. We developed and applied an original methodology of experimental studying. It includes methods common in psychophysiology, such as determination of voluntary attention, short-term image memory, visual and logical auditory memory. The specificity of the methods assessing the psychophysiological state of a subject lies in the fact that they are combined in one computer program.
Results. The work of 7th grade students with a text editor caused an increase of auditory span in most cases. At the same time, the results showed a decrease in stability of visual memory of almost a half of seventh graders that can be explained by tiredness of visual perception. This conclusion is supported by the negative dynamics of nervous processes lability in 40 % of all cases. The work with images significantly reduced the visual span of a greater number of pupils. The comparison of the results of using two different types of tasks on PC has showed that the number of students experiencing visual memory improvement is significantly higher when working with a text editor than with a graphics one. The correlation analysis confirmed the dependence of the dynamics of nervous processes lability on changes in the short-term visual memory span both when working with text and with graphics editors. In the second case, the nervous processes lability determined the parameters of attention as well.
Conclusions. The work of adolescents on PCs has led to a change in the status of the memory and attention. Functional tension in the visual system revealed during the study occurs in response to the work with PCs and can be caused by the necessity to read information and by features of a screen image, as well as by the exposure to electromagnetic radiation.

visual memory span, auditory-verbal memory span, lability of nervous processes, functional state, text editor, graphics editor

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