Relations between mental workload and decision-making in an organizational setting

Bibliographic Data

ID5069038
AuthorsMaría Soria-Oliver (0000-0002-2658-3553, Universidad Internacional De La Rioja), Jorge S López (0000-0002-3465-0787, Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), corresponding author), Fermín Torrano (0000-0002-0624-2145, Universidad Internacional De La Rioja)
Year2018
Volume30
Issue1
Pages7
Publication date2018-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsicologia Reflexão e Crítica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0102-7972 • E-ISSN: 1678-7153
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1186/s41155-017-0061-0
PMID32026983
OpenAlexW2604328042
LanguageEN
References cited35

ASBTRACT: BACKGROUND: The complexity of current organizations implies a potential overload for workers. For this reason, it is of interest to study the effects that mental workload has on the performance of complex tasks in professional settings. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to empirically analyze the relation between the quality of decision-making, on the one hand, and the expected and real mental workload, on the other. METHODS: The study uses an ex post facto prospective design with a sample of 176 professionals from a higher education organization. Expected mental workload (Pre-Task WL) and real mental workload (Post-Task WL) were measured with the unweighted NASA-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) questionnaire; difference between real WL and expected WL (Differential WL) was also calculated; quality of decision-making was measured by means of the Decision-Making Questionnaire. RESULTS: General quality of decision-making and Pre-Task WL relation is compatible with an inverted U pattern, with slight variations depending on the specific dimension of decision-making that is considered. There were no verifiable relations between Post-Task WL and decision-making. The subjects whose expected WL matched the real WL showed worse quality in decision-making than subjects with high or low Differential WL. CONCLUSIONS: The relations between mental workload and decision-making reveal a complex pattern, with evidence of nonlinear relations

Data mining · Differential (mechanical device) · Dimension (graph theory) · Quality (philosophy) · Relation (database) · Task (project management) · Workload · Applied Psychology · Computer Science · Engineering · Human-Automation Interaction and Safety · Mathematics · Personal Information Management and User Behavior · Psychology · Social Psychology · Team Dynamics and Performance

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