WORKLOAD ANALYSIS

WEEK 2
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Human-Integrated Systems

Prepared by Rida Zuraida

Industrial Engineering
 Topic
Workload Analysis

Workload Analysis and Task Analysis

rzuraida@binus.ac.id
 Workload Analysis
Workload is hypothetical construct that represents the mental cost incurred
by a human operator to achieve a particular level of performance (Hart &
Staveland, 1988).

rzuraida@binus.ac.id
 Workload evaluation

Workload level a human would experience during executing task is

influenced by many factors including operator capability and
required performance goals in addition to objective demands
imposed by the task.

The evaluation of mental workload is a key point in the research and

development of human-machine interfaces, in search of higher
levels of comfort, satisfaction, efficiency, and safety in the workplace
(Rubio, Díaz, Martin & Puente, 2004).

rzuraida@binus.ac.id
 Workload Analysis
A task for a human operator within human-machine
interactions should neither underload or overload an
individual, and workload analysis is important to
assess workload during task completion.

A number of tools for the evaluation and prediction of

mental workload were developed and currently used
in many setting work area to help management
determine workload level

rzuraida@binus.ac.id
 Subjective Measurement
• Subjective workload measures are commonly used tools in
many fields and task scenarios. Subjective measures are
known to be sensitive, more global and also diagnostic.

• Subjective measures are often preferred because they are

easy to implement, and users are usually accepting of these
methods.
• Usually use a set of questionnaire to assess workload demand
• Based on operator perception
• Could interfere with operator motivation during fill the
assessment
rzuraida@binus.ac.id
 Subjective Measurement Methods
• Modified Cooper Harper [MCH]
• Subjective Workload Assessment Technique [SWAT]
• NASA Task Load Index [NASA-TLX]
• Overall Workload Scale
• Bedford Scale
• Verbal Online Subjective Opinion [VOSO]
• Workload Profile [WP] and
• Subjective Opinion via Continuous Control [SOCC]

rzuraida@binus.ac.id
 Nasa-TLX Methods

rzuraida@binus.ac.id
Performance-based
techniques measurement
Performance-based measures can be categorized in primary task
measurements and secondary task measurements.
Primary task measurements evaluate user’s performance (e.g., speed
or accuracy) on primary system functions as indexes of operator
workload. It is expected that user’s performance (speed and/or
accuracy) will decrease as workload increases.
Secondary task methodologies normally utilize secondary tasks which
are not part of normal system functions. Such tasks typically involve
memory, mental math, interval production, reaction time, time
estimation, and tracking.

rzuraida@binus.ac.id
Physiological techniques
There are various physiological techniques that can be used as index of mental
workload.

Brain- Eye-
Heart
activity activity
rate

e.g., eye-blink latency, eye-

index of arousal or physical e.g., EEG recordings blink duration, eye-blink
work less-intrusive; good for Difficult to synchronize stimuli rate typically best used to
continuous monitoring of with EEG record; lots of noise measure workload of visual
workload) in data from body movement) tasks
 When Use Workload
Analysis?
implemented at
early stage of
in the later the design
design stage of cycle such as
evaluation. task analysis

during operator predict points

interacting with of overload or
targeted underload to
systems in a find potential
real-world or error points
simulated
environments.
How to Use Workload Analysis?
The measure A tool’s power to detect
should not interfere Intrusiven Sensitivi changes in task difficulty
ess ty
with the primary or demands
task performance,

Identification of changes in The measure must

Diagnos
workload variation and reason Reliability reflect consistently the
tic
for those changes. mental workload.

Implemen
the index must be
Including aspects such as time, Selectivi
tation sensitive only to
instruments, and software for the ty/
requirem differences in cognitive
collection and analysis of data. ents Validity
demands

This refers to the subject’s Subject

accepta
perception of the validity and bility
usefulness of the procedure.
Resources
Adapted from:
http://hfmethods.weebly.com/workload-analysis.html
With references:
1. Becker, A.B., Warm, J.S., Dember, W.N., & Hancock, P.A. (1991). Effects of feedback on perceived workload in
vigilance performance. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Thirty-Fifth Annual Meeting (pp. 1491–
1494). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

2. Eggemeier, F.T., Wilson, G.F., Kramer, A.F., & Damos, D.L. (1991). General considerations concerning workload
assessment in multi-task environments. In D.L. Damos (Ed.), Multiple task performance (pp. 207–216). London:
Taylor& Francis.

3. Hart, S.G., & Staveland, L.E. (1988). Development of NASA-TLX (Task Load Index): Results of empirical and
theoretical research. In P.A. Hancock & N. Meshkati (Eds.), Human mental workload (pp. 139–183). Amsterdam:
North-Holland.

4. Rubio, S., Díaz, E., Martin, J., & Puente, J. M. (2004). Evaluation of subjective mental workload: A comparison
of SWAT, NASA-TLX, and Workload profile methods. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 53(1), 61-
86.

5. Wierwille, W. W., & Eggemeier, F. T. (1993). Recommendations for mental workload measurement in a test
and evaluation environment. Human Factors, 35, 263-281