Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods

Mental workload (MWL) is a pervasive concept throughout the ergonomics and human factors literature (e.g., Sanders and McCormick, 1993; Singleton, 1989), and it is a topic of increasing importance. As modern technology in many working environments imposes greater cognitive demands upon operators than physical demands (Singleton, 1989), the understanding of how MWL impinges on performance is critical.