ABSTRACT
This chapter describes an individual differences approach to stress and fatigue. Fatigue and stress may be conceptualized as the result of multilevel transactions between person and task in which resources are reduced at rate faster than replenishment can occur, and the individual strains the compensatory regulation mechanism to maintain performance. With respect to the distinction between stress and fatigue, Paula A. Desmond and Gerald Matthews showed that stress and fatigue symptoms can co-exist and are related to common trait variables. If stress and fatigue effects occur as joint function of person and task characteristics, it may also be true that there are trait–trait interactions in manner analogous to the now famous stressor interactions. In moving forward, there are at least several ways to enhance theoretical understanding of stress and fatigue, and therefore point the way toward effective mitigation through training and environmental design.
