Cognitive control and mental workload in multitasking

TL;DR

This study investigates how cognitive control influences mental workload during multitasking, using physiological indicators to detect control modes and their moderating effect on stress responses.

Contribution

It introduces a method to detect cognitive control modes via physiological signals and demonstrates their role in moderating mental stress during multitasking.

Findings

Physiological indicators can detect different cognitive control modes.

Cognitive control moderates the impact of task demand on physiological stress.

Different modes of control are associated with distinct physiological patterns.

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between mental workload and the cognitive control implemented in multitasking activity. A MATB-II experiment was conducted to simulate different conditions of multitasking demand, and to collect the behavioral and physiological activities of 17 participants. The results show that implementation of different modes of cognitive control can be detected with physiological indicators, and that cognitive control could be seen as a moderator of the effect of mental stress (task demand) upon mental strain (physiological responses).