Subjective Pilot Workload Assessment

Abstract

Traditional subjective pilot workload measures have stressed postflight questionnaires. An alternative method that is less dependent on memory was evaluated in two experiments. In the first study, pilots and nonpilots made workload evaluations each minute during a critical tracking task. Results indicate that their responses were directly related to the experimentally controlled difficulty level, whereas posltask questionnaire responses were much less accurate. In a second study, the workload assessment device was introduced into the cockpit of a general aviation cockpit simulator, to detennine if pilots could differentiate between three flights in which the level of difficulty varied. It was found that pilot workload judgments and response latencies were related to the experimentally induced difficulty level. As hypothesized, the more difficult flights generated higher mean workload responses and longer latencies.

Virtual/augmented reality-based human–machine interface and interaction modes in airport control towers

“… Subjective qualitative assessments such as workload, acceptability, trust, usability, human error and user comfort obtained through questionnaires and/or interviews. Standard scale questionnaires were employed to measure controllers workload, situational awareness and acceptance: Bedford 23 , China Lake 24 and CARS 25 scale were administered respectively after each exercise runs (for both reference and solution runs). Customised questionnaires were employed post runs to collect further Human Performance and Safety subjective measurements, and a post-experiment questionnaire to collect a final subjective overview of the new solutions proposed.…”

Driver Understanding and Secondary Task Performance While Viewing Traffic Safety Messages on Dynamic Message Signs

“…Simultaneously, increased CTT difficulty was expected to make it more difficult to effectively read and process the BTS messages under the limited viewing time afforded by a DMS, which could affect driver understanding of the message presented. The CTT has been used in the automotive industry to assess driver distraction resulting from in-vehicle information systems ( 24 ) and has also been shown to correlate with subjective ratings of workload in research with airplane pilots ( 25 ).…”

Practical Guidelines for Workload Assessment

“…Few evaluation studies have been camed out, but it appears to be a relatively sensitive measure of workload (Tattersall & Foord, 1993). A similar technique was used by Rehmann, Stein and Rosenberg (1983), who suggested that gaining concurrent workload evaluations was more accurate than post-task ratings. In complex tasks which involve multiple elements or phases, the ratings may be more clearly related to changing task demands than retrospective ratings.…”