OBJECTIVETo explore and analyze the cognitive quality of professional divers.

METHODS165 professional divers were tested with Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM), 80.8 Neural Type Measuring Form, etc. with 230 common people, 49 sailors and 66 trainee divers as control.

RESULTSThere were significant difference among professional divers of different ages in the type of nerve activity, cognitive style, action stability, memory span, time reaction, the perception of space, act of attention and dark adaptation (P < 0.05); Over all, the cognitive quality of professional divers did not differ significantly in education level or working years (P < 0.05); Professional divers were superior to the common people in depth perception, cognitive style, act of attention, action stability, the perception of space and dark adaptation, but inferior to them in intelligence, memory span and time reaction (P < 0.05); There were significant difference in such cognitive indicators as the type of nerve activity, depth perception, kinesthetic memory, cognitive style, the perception of space and dark adaptation (P < 0.05); Compared with the trainee divers, professional divers were significantly better in the type of nerve activity, cognitive style, act of attention, action stability and the perception of space (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAs a specified profession, diving needs some particular cognitive quality, while the profession itself would affect professional divers' cognitive ability to a certain extent.