Mental Workload Manipulation Using Multiple Homogeneous Tasks: Performance Effects
Abstract
The research project was a 12 month endeavor to conduct empirical research, the results of which provide a better understanding of multi-tasking and mental workload, concepts that are increasingly important to Army research. Soldiers face increasing mental workload demands as they face tasks created by new personnel demands and technology demands. This research provides a deeper understanding of how performance declines as mental workload demand increases. The theoretical underpinnings of this research include (a) multiple resource theory and (b) the accomplishment model of average mental workload. Multiple resource theory assumes that there are three mental workload dimensions: stages (cognitive, response), processing codes (verbal, spatial), and sensory modalities (auditory, visual), (b) The accomplishment model is an example of a fundamental measurement theory. The accomplishment model assumes that mental workload is an extensive measurement system so that its methods are used to scale task performance in order to recover underlying mental workload levels (a performance-resource relationship). Both approaches are applicable if testing is conducted using sets of tasks that are homogeneous, so that the same resource dimension is needed to perform all tasks. The research is unique because the number of concurrently performed tasks (from 1 to 8) was used to determine the total mental workload.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 03, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA530185
Entities
People
- Herbert A. Colle
Organizations
- Wright State University