The psychological (as opposed to physiological) effects of wearing a US aircrew chemical defense ensemble were evaluated using 12 male and 12 female volunteers. Half of the males and half of the females wore chemical defense ensembles while the rest wore standard US flight suits as controls. All subjects were administered tests of cognition (math, logical reasoning, target detection, and reaction time) before and after 6 hours of wear in a controlled environment. In addition, subjects rated their mood before and after wear. It was concluded that wearing the ensemble in an undemanding environment degraded affect (mood and activation levels), slightly decreased accuracy, and substantially decreased reaction times, especially in females. The most serious impact of the ensemble would seem to be a decrease in morale among females.

Unclassified report. USAARL-83-7.