A Preliminary Investigation of Individual Differences in Mental Workload: An Information Processing Based Approach

Abstract

The present study examined the role of strategic processing styles in predicting both objective performance and subjective workload in a simulated ATC task across various time pressure conditions. Strategic processing styles were assessed with the Need for Cognition and Personal Need for Structure scales, the Objective Relations Test (i.e., mental rotation), and performance on the video game Tetris (i.e., spatial ability). The results revealed no significant effects of these measures on subjective workload. There were also no significant effects on error production for any of these measures, with the exception of Tetris. The results of this study are discussed within Hendy's (1994) Information-Processing model of mental workload and human performance

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