This paper proposes the use of a subjective workload instrument called the Multiple Resources Questionnaire (MRQ) to measure workload in particular mental processes. The objective is to assess the validity of the MRQ in predicting dual-task interference. In the first experiment, participants completed simple laboratory tasks and the MRQ after each. Interference between tasks was then correlated to three different task similarity metrics: profile similarity, overlap similarity, and overall demand. The second experiment used similar methods but more complex computer-based games. Results from the first experiment showed that the MRQ moderately predicted interference, with no significant difference between metrics. In the second experiment, the metric effect was significant, with overlap similarity excelling in predicting interference. Mean ratings showed high diagnosticity in identifying specific mental processing bottlenecks. These findings indicate that the MRQ shows considerable promise as a cognitive-process-sensitive workload measure, especially in applications such air traffic management and advanced flight displays.
Abstract