Relation between Mental Workload and Visual Information Processing

Abstract The aim of this study is to clarify the relation between mental workload and the function of visual information processing. To examine the mental workload (MWL) relative to the size of the useful field of view (UFOV), an experiment was conducted with 12 participants (ages 21–23). In the primary task, participants responded to visual markers appearing in a computer display. The UFOV and the results of the secondary task for MWL were measured. In the MWL task, participants solved numerical operations designed to increase MWL. The experimental conditions in this task were divided into three categories (Repeat Aloud, Addition, and No Task), where No Task meant no mental task was given. MWL was changed in a stepwise manner. The quantitative assessment confirmed that the UFOV narrows with the increase in the MWL.