scholarly journals Workload assessment for mental arithmetic tasks using the task-evoked pupillary response

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Marquart ◽  
Joost de Winter
Keyword(s):  
Mental Arithmetic ◽  
Pupil Diameter ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Blink Rate ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Diameter Change

Pupillometry is a promising method for assessing mental workload and could be helpful in the optimization of systems that involve human-computer interaction. The present study focuses on replicating the studies by Ahern (1978) and Klingner (2010), which found that for three levels of difficulty of mental multiplications, the more difficult multiplications yielded larger dilations of the pupil. Using a remote eye tracker, our research expands upon these two previous studies by statistically testing for each 1.5 s interval of the calculation period (1) the mean absolute pupil diameter (MPD), (2) the mean pupil diameter change (MPDC) with respect to the pupil diameter during the pre-stimulus accommodation period, and (3) the mean pupil diameter change rate (MPDCR). An additional novelty of our research is that we compared the pupil diameter measure with a self-report measure of workload, the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and with the mean blink rate (MBR). The results showed that the findings of Ahern and Klingner were replicated, and that the MPD and MPDC discriminated just as well between the lowest and highest difficulty levels as did the NASA-TLX. The MBR, on the other hand, did not interpretably differentiate between the difficulty levels. Moderate to strong correlations were found between the MPDC and the proportion of incorrect responses, indicating that the MPDC was higher for participants with a poorer performance. For practical applications, validity could be improved by combining pupillometry with other physiological techniques.

scholarly journals Workload assessment for mental arithmetic tasks using the task-evoked pupillary response

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Marquart ◽  
Joost de Winter
Keyword(s):  
Mental Arithmetic ◽  
Pupil Diameter ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Blink Rate ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Diameter Change

Pupillometry is a promising method for assessing mental workload and could be helpful in the optimization of systems that involve human-computer interaction. The present study focuses on replicating the studies by Ahern (1978) and Klingner (2010), which found that for three levels of difficulty of mental multiplications, the more difficult multiplications yielded larger dilations of the pupil. Using a remote eye tracker, our research expands upon these two previous studies by statistically testing for each 1.5 s interval of the calculation period (1) the mean absolute pupil diameter (MPD), (2) the mean pupil diameter change (MPDC) with respect to the pupil diameter during the pre-stimulus accommodation period, and (3) the mean pupil diameter change rate (MPDCR). An additional novelty of our research is that we compared the pupil diameter measure with a self-report measure of workload, the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and with the mean blink rate (MBR). The results showed that the findings of Ahern and Klingner were replicated, and that the MPD and MPDC discriminated just as well between the lowest and highest difficulty levels as did the NASA-TLX. The MBR, on the other hand, did not interpretably differentiate between the difficulty levels. Moderate to strong correlations were found between the MPDC and the proportion of incorrect responses, indicating that the MPDC was higher for participants with a poorer performance. For practical applications, validity could be improved by combining pupillometry with other physiological techniques.

scholarly journals Workload assessment for mental arithmetic tasks using the task-evoked pupillary response

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Marquart ◽  
Joost de Winter
Keyword(s):  
Mental Arithmetic ◽  
Pupil Diameter ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Pupillary Response ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Blink Rate ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Strong Correlations ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Diameter Change

Pupillometry is a promising method for assessing mental workload and could be helpful in the optimization of systems that involve human-computer interaction. The present study focuses on replicating the pupil diameter study by Ahern (1978) for mental multiplications of varying difficulty, using an automatic remote eye tracker. Our results showed that the findings of Ahern were replicated and that the mean pupil diameter and mean pupil diameter change (MPDC) discriminated just as well between the three difficulty levels as did a self-report questionnaire of mental workload (NASA-TLX). A higher mean blink rate was observed during the multiplication period for the highest level of difficulty in comparison with the other two levels. Moderate to strong correlations were found between the MPDC and the proportion of incorrect responses, indicating that the MPDC was higher for participants with a lower performance. For practical applications, validity could be improved by combining pupillometry with other physiological techniques.

Ergonomic Assessment of the Mental Workload Confronted by Surgeons during Laparoscopic Surgery

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (9) ◽  
pp. 1538-1543
Author(s):  
Jianyang Zhang ◽  
Shenglin Liu ◽  
Qingmin Feng ◽  
Jiaqi Gao ◽  
Ju Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movement ◽  
Pupil Diameter ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Established Method ◽  
P Values ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Diameter Change

Although the mental workload confronted by laparoscopic surgeons is rather high, there is presently no reliable, established method for evaluating this workload. In the present study, four evaluation indices of eye movement metrics were applied to evaluate surgeons’ mental workload. Correlations between these indices and National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) scores were also explored. Sixteen participants were recruited to complete four laparoscopic procedures. Eye movement was recorded during the tasks, and NASA-TLX scales were also introduced for subjective evaluation. The data were analyzed using R 3.3.2. Significant differences in the mental workload of each task were observed. Statistically significant correlations between mean pupil diameter change and NASA-TLX scores were also observed. The correlation coefficients were 0.763, 0.675, 0.405, and 0.547, and the P values correspondingly were 0.001, 0.004, 0.12, and 0.028, respectively. The results clarify that the mental workload of laparoscopic surgeons is dependent on the specific demands of the operation. Appropriate objective physiological indices can be used to identify the mental workload state of the surgeon.

scholarly journals Experimental Analysis of Driver Visual Characteristics in Urban Tunnels

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4274
Author(s):  
Song Fang ◽  
Jianxiao Ma
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Clustering Algorithm ◽  
Pupil Diameter ◽  
Data Fitting ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Tunnel Length ◽  
Point Distribution ◽  
Change Rate ◽  
Visual Characteristics ◽  
Diameter Change

Through an urban tunnel-driving experiment, this paper studies the changing trend of drivers’ visual characteristics in tunnels. A Tobii Pro Glasses 2 wearable eye tracker was used to measure pupil diameter, scanning time, and fixation point distribution of the driver during driving. A two-step clustering algorithm and the data-fitting method were used to analyze the experimental data. The results show that the univariate clustering analysis of the pupil diameter change rate of drivers has poor discrimination because the pupil diameter change rate of drivers in the process of “dark adaptation” is larger, while the pupil diameter change rate of drivers in the process of “bright adaptation” is relatively smooth. The univariate and bivariate clustering results of drivers’ pupil diameters were all placed into three categories, with reasonable distribution and suitable differentiation. The clustering results accurately corresponded to different locations of the tunnel. The clustering method proposed in this paper can identify similar behaviors of drivers at different locations in the transition section at the tunnel entrance, the inner section, and the outer area of the tunnel. Through data-fitting of drivers’ visual characteristic parameters in different tunnels, it was found that a short tunnel, with a length of less than 1 km, has little influence on visual characteristics when the maximum pupil diameter is small, and the percentage of saccades is relatively low. An urban tunnel with a length between 1 and 2 km has a significant influence on visual characteristics. In this range, with the increase in tunnel length, the maximum pupil diameter increases significantly, and the percentage of saccades increases rapidly. When the tunnel length exceeds 2 km, the maximum pupil diameter does not continue to increase. The longer the urban tunnel, the more discrete the distribution of drivers’ gaze points. The research results should provide a scientific basis for the design of urban tunnel traffic safety facilities and traffic organization.

scholarly journals Assessing the Mental Workload of staff in a Bank in Hamadan by NASA-TLX Method

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zohreh BAKHSHI ◽  
Majid MOTAMEDZADE ◽  
Maryam FARHADIAN
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Demand ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Bank Employees ◽  
Nasa Tlx

Introduction: Mental workload is one of the effective factors on the performance and efficiency of people working in an organization that put their health at risk. The aim of this study was to determine the mental workload of staffa working in a bank in Hamadan City of Iran  by NASA-TLX method. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 110 bank employees were surveyed. The data were collected using demographic and NASA-TLX questionnaires. Finally, collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 by running descriptive statistics and statistical tests. Results: According to the participants, the mean and standard deviation of effort and mental demand, as the most important dimensions were 81.04 ± 14.51 and 79.50 ± 18.05, respectively. The performance dimension was selected as the least important dimension with the mean and standard deviation of 64.37 ± 10.17. The results of statistical analysis showed no significant relationship between the participants' total score of mental workload and their demographic information such as age, gender, educational level, marital status, experience, and work overtime(P>0.05). The Pearson correlation coefficient showed that age (P<0.05) and work experience (P<0.01) had a significant and inverse relationship with temporal demand dimension . Conclusion: Based on the findings, the mean of perceived mental workload of bank employees was high. Therefore, effective programs should be conducted to mitigate and reduce the mental workload and to promote mental health of bank employees.

scholarly journals Psychometric Properties of NASA-TLX and Index of Cognitive Activity as Measures of Cognitive Workload in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 994
Author(s):  
Hannes Devos ◽  
Kathleen Gustafson ◽  
Pedram Ahmadnezhad ◽  
Ke Liao ◽  
Jonathan D. Mahnken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cognitive Workload ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Index Of Cognitive Activity

Cognitive workload is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of performance in cognitive tests and daily life activities. Cognitive workload is a measure of physical and mental effort allocation to a task, which can be determined through self-report or physiological measures. However, the reliability and validity of these measures have not been established in older adults with a wide range of cognitive ability. The aim of this study was to establish the test–retest reliability of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and Index of Cognitive Activity (ICA), extracted from pupillary size. The convergent validity of these measures against event-related potentials (ERPs) was also investigated. A total of 38 individuals with scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment ranging between 17 and 30 completed a working memory test (n-back) with three levels of difficulty at baseline and at a two-week follow-up. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) values of the NASA-TLX ranged between 0.71 and 0.81, demonstrating good to excellent reliability. The mean ICA scores showed fair to good reliability, with ICCs ranging between 0.56 and 0.73. The mean ICA and NASA-TLX scores showed significant and moderate correlations (Pearson’s r ranging between 0.30 and 0.33) with the third positive peak of the ERP at the midline channels. We conclude that ICA and NASA-TLX are reliable measures of cognitive workload in older adults. Further research is needed in dissecting the subjective and objective constructs of cognitive workload.

scholarly journals Academic Performance and Social Competence of Adolescents: Predictions based on Effortful Control and Empathy

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan P. Zorza ◽  
Julián Marino ◽  
Soledad de Lemus ◽  
Alberto Acosta Mesas
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Social Competence ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Effortful Control ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
School Year ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Dispositional Empathy

AbstractThis study explored the predictive power of effortful control (EC) on empathy, academic performance, and social competence in adolescents. We obtained self-report measures of EC and dispositional empathy in 359 students (197 girls and 162 boys) aged between 12 and 14 years. Each student provided information about the prosocial behavior of the rest of his/her classmates and completed a sociogram. At the end of the school year, we calculated the mean grade of each student and the teacher responsible for each class completed a questionnaire on the academic skills of his/her students. The study confirmed the existence of a structural equation model (SEM) in which EC directly predicted academic performance and social competence. Additionally, empathic concern partially mediated the effect of EC on social competence. Finally, social competence significantly predicted academic performance. The article discusses the practical applications of the model proposed.

Reducing Sketch Inhibition During Concept Generation: Psychophysiological Evidence of the Effect of Interventions

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan-Lin Hu ◽  
Joran Booth ◽  
Tahira Reid
Keyword(s):  
Mental Workload ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cognitive State ◽  
Concept Generation ◽  
Warm Up ◽  
Cognitive States ◽  
Test Conditions ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Art Activities

This research investigated the effect of warm-up activities on cognitive states during concept generation. Psychophysiological tools including electroencephalography (EEG) and galvanic skin response (GSR) were used along with self-report measures (NASA TLX). Participants were divided into 3 test conditions: 1) no warm-up activity; 2) simple warm-up activities; 3) sketch-inhibition reducing activities. All participants did the same short design task. Results show that those who did a warm-up prior to ideation had a decrease in stress, especially for those who were personally familiar with the design problem. The art activities especially improved engagement for younger participants. We also saw that females who used the art-based activities reported lower mental workload during ideation and greater pride in their sketches. However, the warm-ups did not produce any difference in the number of ideas or other metrics of performance. These preliminary results indicate that warm-up activities, especially the art-based ones, help reduce inhibition by calming the cognitive state.

Using Saccadic Intrusions to Quantify Mental Workload

2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 809-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoru Tokuda ◽  
Evan Palmer ◽  
Edgar Merkle ◽  
Alex Chaparro
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Pupil Diameter ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Saccadic Intrusions ◽  
Back Task

This study proposes a new method to quantify mental workload (MWL) automatically, without interfering with the operator's primary task performance. An unobtrusive Tobii eye tracker recorded eye movements while participants were engaged in a cognitively demanding N-back task. Original algorithms automatically analyzed the eye data, detected specific eye deviation movements called saccadic intrusions (SIs), and automatically quantified the eye deviation accounted for SIs. This SI measure was strongly correlated with the task difficulty levels in the N-back tasks and with pupil diameter. This indicates that the SI measure appeared to reflect MWL and may be used as a measure of MWL.

Mental Workload and the Display of Abstraction Hierarchy Information

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Burns ◽  
Laura K. Thompson ◽  
Antonio Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Pupil Diameter ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Tracking Data ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Time Condition ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
The One ◽  
Speed And Accuracy ◽  
Over Time

In designing large ecological displays, designers are faced with the question of how to display multiple levels of abstract information. Previous research has shown that people may perform better, in terms of diagnosis speed and accuracy, if multiple levels of information are presented in an integrated format (Burns, 2000). We repeated the study of Burns (2000) which looks at providing abstract information in three formats - one level at a time, windowed and integrated. We collected eye tracking data at intervals throughout the experiment. Our eye-tracker was able to collect pupil diameter measures and changes. Results showed no notable difference in pupil diameter measures between the integrated condition and the one level at a time condition, but notably higher increases in pupil diameter when abstract information was in separate windows. Furthermore, pupil diameters increased over time in the windowed condition, suggesting that workload with this display may have been increasing. These preliminary data suggest that separating levels of abstract information may increase the mental workload of operators.

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