A new approach to manipulating aviator workload: A case for individualizing workload manipulations

The present study sought to manipulate workload individually for participants to evaluate whether individual manipulations of workload produces similar subjective ratings and performance changes across participants. Participants included eight Army-rated rotary-wing aviators who presented to the laboratory for two separate visits. During the first visit, individual responses to workload were determined, and during the second visit, individually manipulated high workload flights were completed. Outcome measures included flight performance and subjective workload ratings. Data were examined at the group and individual level. Subjective ratings of workload endorsed the individual workload manipulations, while performance data provided some additional support. By taking an individualized approach such as this, researchers and practitioners may be better able to control for individual differences influencing workload. This has important implications for system design and testing, development of new intervention technologies, and assessing methods for operator monitoring.