The Joint Effect of Task Characteristics and Extraversion on The Performance,Workload,and Stress of Signal Detection

Abstract

The present study tests an extension of the Dynamic Adaptability Theory of Stress (Hancock & Warm, 1989) that incorporated individual differences into the model (Szalma, 2008). The purpose was to investigate how the task characteristics of information rate (event rate) and information structure (number of displays to be monitored) interact with participant personality (extraversion) to affect the performance, workload, and stress associated with a cognitive vigilance task. As expected, extraversion moderated the relationship of task characteristics to performance, global workload, distress, and task engagement, although the relationship of extraversion to the worry dimensions of stress was not significant.

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