Workload Metrics for System Evaluatiion

Abstract : A major function of human factors engineering throughout the system development process is to ensure that system demands do not exceed the information processing capabilities of the human operator. Processing overload is a central factor leading to breakdowns in operator performance and to the compromises in system safety and effectiveness that can result from such decrements. Mental workload is the term which refers to that portion of an operator's limited processing capacity which is actually required to perform a particular task or system function. The principal objective of workload assessment is to specify the amount of expended processing capacity so that existing or potential overloads can be identified and decrements in operator performance avoided.