The Effect of Stress Factors on Cognitive and Management Functions of Cadets of Higher Military Educational Institutions

Abstract

The article describes the characteristics of stress factors influence on the cognitive and managerial functions of senior year cadets of the National Defense University of Ukraine named after Ivan Chernyakhovsky. Intensive (submaximal) physical exertion (a 5 km forced march carrying all equipment and clothing) at high ambient temperature (+29 ºС) and humidity (61%) were considered as stress factors. Aim of the study: to determine the effect of long-term intensive physical activity in high ambient temperature on the intelligent and managerial abilities of cadets. To obtain factual data, we used the following research methods: non-invasive instrumental methods, sociological methods (surveying), and mathematical statistics. Results of the study. The descriptive statistics for the studied indicators included the median (Me), and the 25th and 75th percentiles. The changes in the functional state of the cardiovascular system of military servicemen induced by high-intense physical exertion in the heat were identified. During the 5 km forced march the heart rate was in the range from 162 to 181 bpm (the submaximal intensity level) during 22.14 min.s and above 181 bpm (the maximum intensity level) during 4.55 min.s The minimum and maximum heart rate of servicemen during running in high ambient temperature was 83 bpm and 210 bpm. The analysis of the running pace over the 5km distance indicated a decrease with each subsequent kilometer; the performance decreased on average by 20-25 s, which indicated low endurance and increasing fatigue. The cognitive and managerial functions of the cadets were assessed under the conditions of stress and fatigue. It was found that only 7.7% (n=2) of subjects had maximum short-term memory span scores, 34.6% (n=9) had high attention concentration scores, and 34.6% (n=9) had high scores for attention span and attention switching. The correlation analysis demonstrated that the time for completing the 5 km distance negatively affected the cognitive and managerial functions of the cadets. This indicator was negatively correlated with the short-term memory span, concentration of attention, division and switching of attention, the number of mistakes made during the tests, and self-efficacy: the correlation coefficients (r) were in the range from -0.623 to -0.862 at p<0.001. Work with maximum intensity during the forced march had a negative effect on cognitive functions. In particular, the correlations ranging from r=-0.467 at p<0.05 to r=-0.764 at p<0.001 indicated that it was difficult for servicemen to concentrate and to perform intelligence test tasks efficiently. Conclusion. Successful performance of professional tasks under stressful conditions depends on the level of physical working capacity and stability of higher nervous activity of military personnel. The target-oriented development of aerobic endurance in servicemen is necessary for the effective performance of intelligence test tasks that assess the memory, attention, thinking, perception, and processing of information during high-intensity physical activities in high ambient temperatures.