Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2013, Psychology, General

Previous research has found that performance is sometimes affected by transitions in workload. For some tasks and occupations, this type of change in demand can severely impact performance, which makes this a topic of interest for further research. The previous research conducted used a variety of tasks and methods, but few of the results obtained have been consistent. This study sought to determine the effect of workload transitions in a multi-tasking environment, which is an under-represented area in research on this topic. The use of subjective questionnaires to assess perceived workload and task-related stress has also been limited in previous research. Therefore, this study used the Air Force Multi-Attribute Task Battery (AF-MATB), which is a multi-tasking environment, the NASA Task Load Index, which is a measure of subjective workload, and the shortened Dundee Stress State Questionnaire, which a subjective measure of task-related stress. During testing, all participants completed AF-MATB trials that transitioned from an easy level to a difficult level or from a difficult level to an easy level. Also, they all completed easy and difficult control trials. Analyses of the performance data principally supported the success of the task difficulty manipulation, with significant differences only occurring between the easy and difficult portions of trials. However, the results of several AF-MATB subtasks indicated that the transition in task difficulty from difficult to easy had a negative impact on performance compared to performance in the easy control condition. The significant differences in two of these performance measures, however, may reflect trends in the data of the easy control condition as opposed to transition-related decrements in the difficult-easy condition, thereby making conclusions about the presence of transition effects in these instances somewhat difficult. The analysis of both the NASA Task Load Index and of the shortened Dundee State Questionna (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: F. Thomas Eggemeier Ph.D. (Advisor); James Christensen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Susan Davis Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Experimental Psychology; Psychology

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2012, Biomedical Engineering

The Multiple-Attribute Task Battery (MATB) is composed of four simultaneously running components to which a human operator responds. A prior report has quantified information content as a machine input baud rate using the Hick-Hyman and Fitt's Laws for three of the four components and defines a strategy function. This report covers methods to quantify information content of the fourth component, creating a single metric which describes overall task complexity and evaluates human performance and strategy. Six MATB task-scenarios (combinations of two, three, or all four MATB components) each at two input baud rates are evaluated. Subjects were also provided with a chart that shows information weighting of each MATB component. Results show a change in strategy paradigm between medium input baud rate and high input baud rate for the six task-scenarios collectively. This likely occurs because subjects only refer to the component weighting chart for strategy formulation when performing more challenging task-scenarios. Advancements made with this thesis give a better understanding of how humans process information during multitasking, provide a simpler and more effective metric for analyzing MATB human performance, and create a foundation for further model development.

Committee: Chandler Phillips MD (Advisor); David Reynolds PhD (Committee Member); Richard A. McKinley PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Information Systems