System response time and method of pay: cardiovascular stress effects in computer-based tasks*

Psychophysiological effects of computer system response time (slow vs. rapid) and method of pay (incentive vs. nonincentive) were assessed in a computer-based data entry task among forty-five professional typists. Cardiovascular responses (i.e., heart rate and blood pressure) were monitored on a regular basis over four consecutive workdays. Heart rate and blood pressure did not vary significantly with slow or rapid response times. Incentive pay, however, significantly increased blood pressure and decreased heart rate variability across the workdays compared to nonincentive pay. Irrespective of response time or method of pay, performance of the data entry task for sustained periods of time was associated with reduced heart rate and increased heart rate variability. This temporal effect was indicative of reduced effort or increased mental fatigue. The results of this study suggest that incentive pay programmes in data entry work may produce stress-related physiological reactivity among healthy workers.