Citation

Knight JL, Salvendy G, Endicott G, Basila B, Sharit J. Proc. Hum. Factors Ergon. Soc. Annu. Meet. 1978; 22(1): 507.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1071181378022001132

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Heart rate variability often decreases with increased cognitive load (Kalsbeek, 1971). Studies (Manenica, 1977) varying task pacing requirements unexpectedly revealed decreased SA in self-pacing (self-controlled intra-task event timing) compared to external-pacing (experimenter- or apparatus-controlled event timing). But why should self-pacing ever involve higher cognitive load? Since Ss must time events and otherwise monitor and structure their own performance in self- but not external-pacing, perhaps these responsibilities lead to higher cognitive load in self-pacing when work-rates are equated between self-and externally-paced conditions.
Two experiments were conducted to examine possible sources of cognitive load in self-pacing. In Experiment II, an attempt was made to reduce cognitive load by providing new sources of extrinsic feedback on a visual display. In both studies physical work load was held constant across experimental conditions.

Language: en