Using theta and alpha band power to assess cognitive workload in multitasking environments
Using theta and alpha band power to assess cognitive workload in multitasking environments
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DOI：
10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.10.004
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发表时间：
2018-01-01
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
El-Yagoubi, Radouane
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Puma, Sebastien;Matton, Nadine;El-Yagoubi, Radouane
认知工作量在人类因素和人体工效学领域具有重要意义。对认知工作量的可靠测量可以改进人机界面设计，并在几个领域增加安全性。目前，许多研究已经使用脑电(EEG)来评估认知工作负荷，报告了认知工作负荷的增加与theta频段功率的增加和α频段功率的降低有关。然而，结果与一些未能达到所需重要性水平的结果不一致。我们假设，缺乏一致性可能与任务表现的个体差异和/或大多数脑电研究中的小样本有关。在目前的研究中，我们使用EEG来评估在多任务环境中发生的认知工作负荷的增加，同时考虑到表现的差异。20名参与者完成了航空公司飞行员招聘中常用的一项任务，其中包括同时处理的子任务数量从1个增加到4个。记录主观评分、学习成绩、瞳孔大小和脑电信号。结果表明，在多任务环境中，脑电α和theta频段功率的增加反映了在完成一到三个子任务的认知资源的参与增加。当演出下降时，这些价值达到了顶峰。阿尔法和西塔频段功率水平的一致差异与任务绩效水平有关：最高性能与最低频段功率相关。
Cognitive workload is of central importance in the fields of human factors and ergonomics. A reliable measurement of cognitive workload could allow for improvements in human machine interface designs and increase safety in several domains. At present, numerous studies have used electroencephalography (EEG) to assess cognitive workload, reporting the rise in cognitive workload to be associated with increases in theta band power and decreases in alpha band power. However, results have been inconsistent with some failing to reach the required level of significance. We hypothesized that the lack of consistency could be related to individual differences in task performance and/or to the small sample sizes in most EEG studies. In the present study we used EEG to assess the increase in cognitive workload occurring in a multitasking environment while taking into account differences in performance. Twenty participants completed a task commonly used in airline pilot recruitment, which included an increasing number of concurrent sub-tasks to be processed from one to four. Subjective ratings, performances scores, pupil size and EEG signals were recorded. Results showed that increases in EEG alpha and theta band power reflected increases in the involvement of cognitive resources for the completion of one to three subtasks in a multitasking environment. These values reached a ceiling when performances dropped. Consistent differences in levels of alpha and theta band power were associated to levels of task performance: highest performance was related to lowest band power.