Comparison of Workload Measures on Computer—Generated Primary Flight Displays

Abstract

Four Air Force pilots were used as subjects to assess a battery of subjective and physiological workload measures in a flight simulation environment in which two computer-generated primary flight display configurations were evaluated. A high- and low-workload task was created by manipulating flight path complexity. Both SWAT and the NASA-TLX were shown to be effective in differentiating the high and low workload path conditions. Physiological measures were inconclusive. A battery of workload measures continues to be necessary for an understanding of the data. Based on workload, opinion, and performance data, it is fruitful to pursue research with a primary flight display and a horizontal situation display integrated into a single display.

A Multilevel Approach to Relating Subjective Workload to Performance After Shifts in Task Demand

“…Using a computer game representing a complex decision-making environment, we concurrently measured subjective workload and performance at regular intervals preceding and following shifts in task demand. A single-item, global measure of subjective workload was used because (a) such measures are equally if not more sensitive to different levels of subjective workload when compared to multi-item measures (Eggemeier, Shingledecker, & Crabtree, 1985;Hill, Zaklad, Bittner, Byers, & Christ, 1988;Nataupsky & Abbott, 1987;Verwey & Veltman, 1996;Vidulich & Bortolussi, 1988;Vidulich & Tsang, 1987), and (b) they are less disruptive to performance when administered during task execution (Tsang & Vidulich, 1994). On the basis of the proposition that individuals experience different control states depending on shifts in task demand and workload history, we expected subjective workload's relationship with performance to be more dynamic, changing in both magnitude and direction, at the within-versus the betweenperson level.…”

Development of Human Performance Measures for Human Factors Validation in Advanced Nuclear Power Plants

“…상황인식의 정의에 대한 논의는 여러 가지가 주장되었으 나 (Endsley, 1988a;Fracker, 1988 (Shively et al, 1987;Nataupsky & Abbott, 1987;Battiste & Bortolussi, 1988;Tsang & Johnson, 1989), 전투기에 의한 고공 전투 Bittner et al, 1989), 원격 제어차량 운전 , 시뮬레이터를 이용한 원 전 운전 (Drøivoldsmo et al, 1998;Sebok, 2000;Braarud, 2000;Braarud & Brendryen, 2001 …”

NATO Guidelines on Human Engineering Testing and Evaluation

“…− In a flight simulator piloting tasks with different levels of complexity were carried out for the evaluation of cockpit displays. Significant differences were obtained with NASA-TLX and SWAT but not with physiological measurement methods (Nataupsky and Abbott, 1987). − Flights with and without system failures were carried out in a Boeing 727 flight simulator.…”

“…Representative applications (e.g., Corwin et al, 1989;Hughes et al, 1990;Nataupsky and Abbott,1987;Ward and Hassoun, 1990) have demonstrated the sensitivity of SWAT to different demand manipulations in the flight environment and are representative of results that have been obtained with SWAT in other systems, such as military tanks (Whitaker et al, 1989). Likewise, TLX sensitivity has been demonstrated in many flight experiments that incorporated different demand manipulations (e.g., Battiste and Bortolussi,1988;Corwin et al,1989;Nataupsky and Abbott, 1987;Shively et al, 1987;Tsang and Johnson, 1989;Vidulich and Bortolussi, 1988). All three measures and the Overall Workload Scale (Vidulich and Tsang, 1987) have also been applied to derive an index of operator workload which proved sensitive to several variables in a series of evaluations conducted within U.S. Army systems (e.g., remotely piloted vehicle, mobile air defence) under various test conditions Hill et al, 1988).…”

“…For the most part, representative studies performed within a flight simulation environment (e.g., Corwin et al, 1989;Nataupsky and Abbott, 1987;Tsang and Johnson, 1989;Vidulich and Bortolussi, 1988) have not shown marked and consistent sensitivity differences among techniques. The previously referenced series of experiments Hill et al, 1988) conducted within Army systems did, however, demonstrate that the TLX procedure consistently demonstrated higher loadings than did the SWAT and MCH on the overall index of subjective workload that was derived in each case.…”