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Physiological reflections of mental workload.

P A Hancock, N Meshkati, M M Robertson

Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine

|November 1, 1985

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This review examines physiological measures of mental workload, highlighting practical methods like heart rate and more central nervous system-relevant techniques such as evoked cortical potentials. Auditory canal temperature shows potential as a balanced measure.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Physiology
Human Factors Engineering

Background:

Mental workload assessment is crucial for understanding human performance and safety.
Physiological responses offer objective insights into cognitive load.
Existing measures vary in practicality and neural relevance.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and categorize physiological measures of mental workload.
To evaluate these measures based on practical application and central nervous system (CNS) relevance.
To explore potential novel composite measures.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of studies on physiological responses to mental workload.
Two-dimensional analysis of measures based on practical utility and CNS congruence.

Related Experiment Videos

Comparative evaluation of traditional and emerging physiological indicators.

Main Results:

Heart rate monitoring is identified as a highly practical measure.
Evoked cortical potentials demonstrate superior relevance to CNS activity.
Auditory canal temperature is proposed as a promising composite measure balancing both axes.

Conclusions:

No single physiological measure perfectly captures mental workload.
A multi-dimensional approach is needed for comprehensive assessment.
Auditory canal temperature warrants further investigation for its potential as an integrated workload indicator.