Development of a mental workload index: a systems approach.

Area of Science:

• Human Factors Engineering
• Occupational Psychology
• Transportation Safety

Background:

• Assessing mental workload in high-stakes environments like train control is crucial for operational safety.
• Existing methods for mental workload assessment may lack objectivity and quantifiability.
• There is a need for a reliable tool to predict operator mental workload in train control centers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an objective and quantifiable method for assessing mental workload in train control officers.
• To introduce the Mental Workload Index (MWLI) as a tool for predicting operator workload.
• To enhance operational safety in the rail transport environment through workload management.

Main Methods:

• A participative approach involving a work group of expert users.
• Identification of task and moderating factors contributing to mental workload.
• Iterative refinement and consensus-building to assign weights for each factor in the MWLI.

Main Results:

• Development of the Mental Workload Index (MWLI) based on expert consensus.
• The MWLI incorporates three task factors and 11 moderating factors.
• Each factor is assigned a specific weight reflecting its contribution to overall mental workload.

Conclusions:

• The newly developed MWLI provides an objective and quantifiable measure of mental workload for train control officers.
• The MWLI can serve as a valuable tool for predicting operator workload and managing operational safety.
• The participative development process ensures the validity and reliability of the MWLI for rail transport applications.