Reddy Pratusha, Shewokis Patricia A, Izzetoglu Kurtulus
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, 3508 Market St Suite 100, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Nutrition Sciences Department-College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, 1601 Cherry St Free Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
Brain Inform. 2022 Apr 2;9(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s40708-022-00157-5.
Assessment of expertise development during training program primarily consists of evaluating interactions between task characteristics, performance, and mental load. Such a traditional assessment framework may lack consideration of individual characteristics when evaluating training on complex tasks, such as driving and piloting, where operators are typically required to execute multiple tasks simultaneously. Studies have already identified individual characteristics arising from intrinsic, context, strategy, personality, and preference as common predictors of performance and mental load. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of individual difference in skill acquisition and transfer using an ecologically valid dual task, behavioral, and brain activity measures. Specifically, we implemented a search and surveillance task (scanning and identifying targets) using a high-fidelity training simulator for the unmanned aircraft sensor operator, acquired behavioral measures (scan, not scan, over scan, and adaptive target find scores) using simulator-based analysis module, and measured brain activity changes (oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin) from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) using a portable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) sensor array. The experimental protocol recruited 13 novice participants and had them undergo three easy and two hard sessions to investigate skill acquisition and transfer, respectively. Our results from skill acquisition sessions indicated that performance on both tasks did not change when individual differences were not accounted for. However inclusion of individual differences indicated that some individuals improved only their scan performance (Attention-focused group), while others improved only their target find performance (Accuracy-focused group). Brain activity changes during skill acquisition sessions showed that mental load decreased in the right anterior medial PFC (RAMPFC) in both groups regardless of individual differences. However, mental load increased in the left anterior medial PFC (LAMPFC) of Attention-focused group and decreased in the Accuracy-focused group only when individual differences were included. Transfer results showed no changes in performance regardless of grouping based on individual differences; however, mental load increased in RAMPFC of Attention-focused group and left dorsolateral PFC (LDLPFC) of Accuracy-focused group. Efficiency and involvement results suggest that the Attention-focused group prioritized the scan task, while the Accuracy-focused group prioritized the target find task. In conclusion, training on multitasks results in individual differences. These differences may potentially be due to individual preference. Future studies should incorporate individual differences while assessing skill acquisition and transfer during multitask training.
在培训项目中对专业技能发展的评估主要包括评估任务特征、表现和心理负荷之间的相互作用。在评估诸如驾驶和飞行等复杂任务的培训时，这样一个传统的评估框架可能缺乏对个体特征的考量，在这些任务中，操作人员通常需要同时执行多项任务。研究已经确定，源自内在、情境、策略、个性和偏好的个体特征是表现和心理负荷的常见预测因素。因此，本研究旨在使用生态有效、双任务、行为和大脑活动测量方法，调查个体差异在技能获取和迁移中的影响。具体而言，我们使用用于无人机传感器操作员的高保真训练模拟器实施了一项搜索和监视任务（扫描和识别目标），使用基于模拟器的分析模块获取行为测量数据（扫描、未扫描、过度扫描和自适应目标查找分数），并使用便携式功能近红外光谱（fNIRS）传感器阵列测量前额叶皮层（PFC）的大脑活动变化（氧合血红蛋白和脱氧血红蛋白）。实验方案招募了13名新手参与者，让他们分别进行三次简单和两次困难的训练，以研究技能获取和迁移。我们在技能获取训练中的结果表明，当不考虑个体差异时，两项任务的表现都没有变化。然而，纳入个体差异表明，一些个体仅提高了他们的扫描表现（专注于注意力组），而另一些个体仅提高了他们的目标查找表现（专注于准确性组）。技能获取训练期间的大脑活动变化表明，无论个体差异如何，两组右前内侧前额叶皮层（RAMPFC）的心理负荷均下降。然而，只有当纳入个体差异时，专注于注意力组的左前内侧前额叶皮层（LAMPFC）的心理负荷增加，而专注于准确性组的心理负荷下降。迁移结果表明，无论基于个体差异如何分组，表现都没有变化；然而，专注于注意力组的RAMPFC和专注于准确性组的左背外侧前额叶皮层（LDLPFC）的心理负荷增加。效率和参与结果表明，专注于注意力组优先考虑扫描任务，而专注于准确性组优先考虑目标查找任务。总之，多任务训练会导致个体差异。这些差异可能潜在地归因于个体偏好。未来的研究在评估多任务训练期间的技能获取和迁移时应纳入个体差异。
