The Hysteresis Effect

Abstract

The term hysteresis effect refers to the shape of a performance curve when plotted against increasing and then decreasing demand. Performance during increasing demand reaches a maximum point and begins to deteriorate at high demand levels, whereas performance during decreasing demand is significantly degraded. The Short-Term Memory, expectancy, and other hypotheses have attempted to explain the hysteresis effect. In this paper it is argued that the hysteresis effect could be described by three phases of cognitive processing: an ideal transmission phase, a varying reaction time phase, and a sampling strategy phase. A mathematical model of human information processing was developed to explore the hypothesis. The model was simulated using the Model Human Processor parameters (S. K. Card, T. P. Moran, & A. Newell, 1983). Experimental results demonstrated each processing phase in reproducing the hysteresis effect. Implications for human-machine systems are discussed. Actual or potential applications of this research include air traffic control, flight deck procedures, and interface design

The Effect of Prior Task Loading on Mental Workload

“…The form of this mental workload function is similar, although not identical, to those observed by previous researchers examining hysteresis effects in other aspects of human performance (e.g., Chamberlain, 1968; Cumming & Croft, 1973;Farrell, 1999;Goldberg & Stewart, 1980). The general decrease in average mental workload across trials, especially as seen in comparison with the baseline condition, is not entirely unexpected, considering the nature of general familiarization with the driving task and the participants' progressive familiarity with the present performance setting and expectations.…”

“…With larger-magnitude changes, the mechanism through which hysteresis occurs is likely to be both a delayed adjustment in operator expectancy and the change in task demand affecting short-term memory. Thus, both hypotheses have some degree of support depending on the nature and degree of the demand change experienced (Farrell, 1999).…”

Hysteresis in Mental Workload and Task Performance

“…The absolute demand level prior to a sudden demand transition is known to affect performance and mental workload for a certain period directly after such transition occurs (for overviews, see Cox-Fuenzalida, 2007; Morgan & Hancock, 2011). This ongoing influence of prior demand level is referred to as hysteresis (Cumming & Croft, 1973; Farrell, 1999; Goldberg & Stewart, 1980; Morgan & Hancock, 2011). Previous studies have shown that hysteresis degrades over time in terms of performance (Gluckman, Warm, Dember, & Rosa, 1993; Matthews, 1986).…”

The dynamics of infant visual foraging

“…The repeated sequences of very short periods in each state that are responsible for the model's failure occur because the transition between states happens at the same point ( u = 0) regardless of the direction of the transition. However, dependence on the direction of change (hysteresis) is a property of many neural and behavioral systems (Farrell, 1999; Kelso, Case, Holroyd, Horvath, Raczaszek, Tuller & Ding, 1995; O’Reilly & Munakata, 2000). We therefore added hysteresis to the model system and reevaluated its behavior.…”