Making MATB-II medical: Pilot testing results to determine a novel lab-based,stress-inducing task

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to adapt an existing computer-based task called Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MATB-II), developed by NASA and frequently used to induce acute stress among air craft crew members and general populations, for use in medical populations. We gathered continuous electrocardiography (ECG) data while medical students completed four different versions of the MATB-II of varying difficulties alongside questions probing medical knowledge, comprising a new task called medically-focused multitasking game (MFMG). After completing each version, participants responded to questionnaires to assess subjective states of stress (State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults) and cognitive workload (NASA Task Load Index). Responses to these questionnaires, physiological data from continuous ECG, and overall performance scores were combined to determine one version of MFMG that represented the highest level of elicited stress, and one that represented the lowest level of elicited stress. The results of this pilot study are promising, and have converged to reveal one high-stress and one low-stress version of MFMG, which will later be used to induce acute stress in biofeedback intervention studies among surgical residents and fellows. Beyond this specific application, MFMG can have broader applications in measuring acute stress induction and/or reduction among populations of healthcare practitioners.