Ferscnalot Differences as a Moderator of Menial Hckkload Behavior: Mental Workload Performance and Strain Reactions as a Function of Cognitive Complexity

Abstract

Two groups were pre-selected on the basis of high abstraction or concreteness scores on a test for the personality trait of cognitive complexity. The groups of participants undertook four sequential phases of a fire command, computer-generated, mental workload task. Multiple measures of the mental workload were taken consisting of primary task performance, subjective estimate of relative task difficulty, and physiological response as reflected in the level of sinus arrhythmia. Abstract individuals successfully completed the initial phase of the task, judged to be intermediate in workload, and the overall task in significantly fewer trials than did the concrete individuals. The abstract group also took significantly less time to complete the task during the initial acquisition phase, a trend that was affirmed in the overall time to complete the entire task. Concrete participants perceived the task to be most difficult during the initial phase, whereas the abstract group's subjective evaluation varied directly with the progressive loading of the task. Differences in the scores of sinus arrhythmia for the two groups were shown in the expected direction but failed to reach significance. This study indicates that personality, as reflected in the level of cognitive complexity, is an important moderator of human behavior in the performance of mental workload tasks.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Loewenthal

Unpublished mental workload task, University of Southern California, 1984.

Adorno

T.W.

Frenkel-Brunswik

Levinson

D.J.

Sanford

R.N.

The authoritarian personality. New York: Harper & Row, 1950.

Barriff

M.J.

Lusk

E.J.

Cognitive and personality tests for the design of management information systems. Managment Science. 1977, 23, 820–837.

Firth

P.A.

Psychological factors influencing the relationship between cardiac arrhythmia and mental load. Ergonomics. 1973, 16, 5–16.

Harvey

O.J.

System structure, flexibility, and creativity. In Harvey

O. J.

(Ed.), Experience structure & adaptability, New York: Springer, 1966.

Harvey

O.J.

Hunt

D.E.

Schroder

H.M.

Conceptual systems and personality organization. New York: Wiley, 1961.

Heist

Young

Omnibus personality inventory. New York: Wiley, 1961.

Hendrick

H.W.

Group problem-solving as a function of abstractness. Journal of Applied Psychology. 1979, 64. 518–525.

Kaats

G.R.

Belief systems and person perception: Analysis in a service academy environment (Doctoral dissertation, University of Colorado, 1969). Dissertation Abstracts International. 1970, 31, 4549A.

10.

Kalsbeek

J.W.H.

Measurement of mental workload and of acceptable load: Possible application in industry. The International Journal of Production Research. 1968, 7, 33–45.

11.

Lundberg

O.R.

An empirical examination of relationships between cognitive style and complex decision making (Doctoral dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University, 1972). Dissertation Abstracts International. 1972, 33, 19A.

12.

Meshkati

A conceptual model for the assessment mental workload based upon individual decision styles. unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Southern California, 1983.

13.

Miller

A.G.

Harvey

O.J.

Effects of concrete-abstract-ness and anxiety of intellectual and motor performance. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 1973, 40, 444–451.

14.

O'Connor

Developmental changes in abstractness and moral reasoning (Doctoral dissertation, George Peabody College for Teachers, 1971). Dissertation Abstracts International, 1972, 32, 4109A.

15.

Rokeach

The open and closed mind. New York: Basic Books, 1960.