State of science: mental workload in ergonomics

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics and Human Factors
• Cognitive Psychology
• System Design

Background:

• Mental workload (MWL) is a key concept in ergonomics, increasingly important due to technological advancements shifting work demands towards cognitive tasks.
• Despite its significance, MWL is a nebulous concept with varied definitions and dimensions, often studied in safety-critical systems.
• Understanding MWL's impact on performance is critical for modern work environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the understanding, measurement, and application of MWL in complex system design over the past three decades.
• To highlight the evolving importance of MWL in human factors research.
• To identify contemporary challenges in applied MWL research.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of research on Mental Workload over the last 30 years.
• Analysis of the application of MWL in the design of complex systems.
• Discussion of current research trends and challenges.

Main Results:

• The study reviews the evolution of MWL concepts, measurement techniques, and applications in complex system design.
• It highlights the increasing relevance of MWL due to the cognitive demands of modern technology.
• Key challenges such as the interplay of cognitive and physical workload are identified.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding and consistent measurement of MWL are essential for effective human factors integration in system design.
• Future research must address the interaction between cognitive and physical workload and define performance tolerance limits ('redlines').
• Applied research needs to bridge theoretical understanding with practical application in complex systems.