Disciplines
Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Mental workload, a concept within the field of human factors and ergonomics, refers to the cognitive and perceptual demands that individuals experience while performing various tasks in the workplace. Assessing mental workload holds a significant role in designing occupational tasks, as inappropriate levels can impact job performance, employee well-being, and even workplace safety. By assessing and optimizing mental workload, organizations can enhance productivity, reduce errors, and foster a healthier work environment. The NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and the Surgery Task Load Index (SURG-TLX) are two tools used to subjectively assess mental workload. Both tools offer unweighted and weighted mental workload measurements. Weighted TLX assessments are infrequently employed by researchers due to their strong correlation with unweighted TLX measures and the additional time needed to collect pairwise weightings during experiments. The aim of this study is to compare weighted and unweighted TLX scores. Different weighting scales (weighted, unweighted, rating, and ranking) were used to estimate the TLX scores. Pearson correlations and paired t-test analysis were used to compare the unweighted and weighted TLX scores across tasks and conditions. The results will allow us to know if there is any significant difference in the scores between weighting alternatives; therefore, improving the process of selecting the appropriate scale when using the TLX surveys. The goal is to identify a technique that will produce accurate results but does not require too much time or resources and especially will not generate fatigue, stress, or boredom on those filling out the surveys.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Industrial and Systems Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Luisa Valentina Nino
Comparison of Different Weighting Scales when Measuring Mental Workload
Mental workload, a concept within the field of human factors and ergonomics, refers to the cognitive and perceptual demands that individuals experience while performing various tasks in the workplace. Assessing mental workload holds a significant role in designing occupational tasks, as inappropriate levels can impact job performance, employee well-being, and even workplace safety. By assessing and optimizing mental workload, organizations can enhance productivity, reduce errors, and foster a healthier work environment. The NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and the Surgery Task Load Index (SURG-TLX) are two tools used to subjectively assess mental workload. Both tools offer unweighted and weighted mental workload measurements. Weighted TLX assessments are infrequently employed by researchers due to their strong correlation with unweighted TLX measures and the additional time needed to collect pairwise weightings during experiments. The aim of this study is to compare weighted and unweighted TLX scores. Different weighting scales (weighted, unweighted, rating, and ranking) were used to estimate the TLX scores. Pearson correlations and paired t-test analysis were used to compare the unweighted and weighted TLX scores across tasks and conditions. The results will allow us to know if there is any significant difference in the scores between weighting alternatives; therefore, improving the process of selecting the appropriate scale when using the TLX surveys. The goal is to identify a technique that will produce accurate results but does not require too much time or resources and especially will not generate fatigue, stress, or boredom on those filling out the surveys.