Workload Flashcards
Workload
Refers to the total amount of work or effort that a person, or group of people, is to perform within a time limit. Physical.
Mental Workload
The amount of mental effort necessary to perform a task within a time limit. Performance may suffer if the mental workload is too high or too low.
Factors That Contribute to Workload
Types of tasks, number of tasks, accuracy requirements, time demands.
Empirical Techniques (ET)
Used to measure and assess workload directly in a system or simulated system.
Analytical Techniques (AT)
Used to predict workload demands early in the system development process.
Primary Task (ET)
Evaluate mental workload by directly examining performance of the user. Not good for measuring differences. Weakest method.
Secondary Task (ET)
Someone does two things at once. Workload is assessed by the degree performance deteriorates on either tasked when performed simultaneously.
Psychophysiological Measures (ET)
Provide online measurement of the dynamic changed in workload. Requires sophisticated equipment. Measures arousal.
Subjective Assessment Techniques (ET)
Evaluate workload by obtaining users’ judgments about their tasks. Ask users to rate overall mental workload.
- Cooper Harper Scale
- SWAT
- NASA Task Load Index
- Workload Profile
NASA Task Load Index
Most widely used subjective assessment. 6 scales. Mental, physical, temporal, performance, effort, frustration.
Comparison Technique (AT)
Uses workload data from a predecessor system to estimate the workload for a system under development.
Expert Opinion (AT)
Easiest and most employed.
Mathematical Models (AT)
Predict workload through math. Not used much anymore.
Task Analysis (AT)
Decomposes overall system goal into segments and user tasks.
Simulation Model (AT)
Conducted with a computerized version of reality.
