Ullsperger P, Freude G, Erdmann U
Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Noeldnerstr. 40/42, 10317, Berlin, Germany.
Int J Psychophysiol. 2001 Apr;40(3):201-9. doi: 10.1016/s0167-8760(00)00188-4.
The goal of this study was to explore the utility of parameters of ERPs for assessment of mental workload during performance of complex tasks. In addition to a baseline auditory oddball task, 15 healthy adult volunteers performed gauge monitoring (Gauge) and mental arithmetic (Math) separately and together. Throughout the task performance three types of auditory stimuli were presented as probes, i.e. 80% 1000 Hz tones, 10% 2000 Hz tones and 10% novel sounds. The ERP components N1 and P3 were analysed, which are assumed to reflect perceptive and central processing resources. The results interpreted in the framework of capacity theory indicate high demand on processing resources already during separate performance of both tasks Gauge or Math. During simultaneous performance the workload on average exceeded the limits of processing capacity: the performance data impaired significantly. The ERP measures N1 and P3 were confirmed in their sensitivity and diagnosticity. By using novel sounds as probes with involuntary attention-capturing properties, one might overcome a problem of the irrelevant probe technique, i.e. whether the operator spends his spare capacity for processing of the irrelevant probes.
本研究的目的是探讨事件相关电位（ERP）参数在评估复杂任务执行过程中 mental workload（心理负荷）方面的效用。除了一项基线听觉oddball任务外，15名健康成年志愿者分别以及同时进行了仪表监测（Gauge）和心算（Math）任务。在整个任务执行过程中，呈现了三种类型的听觉刺激作为探测信号，即80%的1000赫兹音调、10%的2000赫兹音调以及10%的新声音。对ERP成分N1和P3进行了分析，它们被认为反映了感知和中枢处理资源。在能力理论框架下解释的结果表明，在单独执行仪表监测（Gauge）或心算（Math）任务期间，对处理资源的需求就已经很高。在同时执行任务期间，平均心理负荷超过了处理能力的极限：绩效数据显著受损。ERP测量指标N1和P3的敏感性和诊断性得到了证实。通过使用具有非自愿注意力捕获特性的新声音作为探测信号，可能会克服无关探测技术的一个问题，即操作员是否将其闲置能力用于处理无关探测信号。
