Estimation of Duration and Mental Workload at Differing Times of Day by Males and Females

Two experiments are reported which investigated whether male and female operator duration estimation and subjective workload followed conventional circadian fluctuation. In the first experiment, twenty-four subjects performed a filled time-estimation task in a constant blacked-out, noise-reduced environment at 0800, 1200, 1600, and 2000h. In the second experiment, twelve subjects performed an unfilled time estimation task in similar conditions at 0900, 1400, and 1900h. At the termination of all experimental sessions, participants completed the NASA TLX workload assessment questionnaire as a measure of perceived mental workload. Results indicated that while physiological response followed an expected pattern, estimations of duration and subjective perception of workload showed no significant effects for time-of-day. In each of the experiments, however, there were significant differences in durational estimates and mental workload response depending upon the gender of the participant. Results are taken to support the assertion that subjective workload is responsive largely to task-related factors and indicates the important differences that may be expected due to operator gender.

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Pre-stimulus inhibition of eye movements reflects temporal expectation rather than time estimation

10.31234/osf.io/zwp72 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Noam Tal-Perry ◽

Shlomit Yuval-Greenberg

Keyword(s):

Eye Movements ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Interval Duration ◽

Estimation Task ◽

Inhibition Effect ◽

Temporal Expectation ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Duration Estimation ◽

Open Question ◽

Time Estimation Task

Eye movements are inhibited prior to the occurrence of temporally predictable events. This ‘oculomotor inhibition effect’ has been demonstrated with various tasks and modalities. Specifically, it was shown that when intervals between cue and target are fixed, saccade-rate prior to the target is lower than when they are varied. However, it is still an open question whether this effect is linked to temporal expectation to the predictable target, or to the duration estimation of the interval preceding it. Here we examined this question in 20 participants while they performed an implicit temporal expectation and an explicit time estimation task. In each trial, following cue onset, two consecutive grating-patches were presented, each preceded by an interval. Temporal expectation was manipulated by setting the first interval duration to be either fixed or varied within each block. Participants were requested to compare either the durations of the two intervals (time estimation), or the tilts of the two grating-patches (temporal expectation).Saccade rate, measured prior to the first grating, was lower in the fixed relative to the varied condition of both tasks. This suggests that the inhibition effect is elicited by target predictability and indicates that it is linked to temporal expectation, rather than to time estimation processes. Additionally, this finding suggests that the oculomotor inhibition is independent of motor readiness, as it was elicited even when no response was required. We conclude that the pre-stimulus oculomotor inhibition effect can be used as a marker of temporal expectation, and discuss its potential underlying mechanisms.

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Time Estimation as a Technique to Measure Workload

Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/107118137802200111 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 41-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David Gunning

Keyword(s):

Simulation Study ◽

Secondary Task ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Flight Simulation ◽

Estimation Task ◽

Subjective Workload ◽

Time Estimation Task ◽

Successes And Failures

A secondary task which involves time estimation was used as a measure of workload in a flight simulation study. The results of the time estimation task were compared with performance scores and subjective workload ratings to evaluate the adequacy of the task. The successes and failures of the technique are discussed.

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Perceptual Asymmetries in a Time Estimation Task With Emotional Sounds

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e633262013-527 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Voyer ◽

Emily Reuangrith

Keyword(s):

Time Estimation ◽

Estimation Task ◽

Perceptual Asymmetries ◽

Time Estimation Task

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Experimental Evaluations of a Model of Mental Workload

Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193128903301814 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 33 (18) ◽

pp. 1233-1237 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

P. A. Hancock ◽

M. H. Chignell ◽

M. Vercruyssen ◽

M. Denhoff

Keyword(s):

Path Length ◽

Mental Workload ◽

Movement Time ◽

A Priori ◽

Independent Effect ◽

Subjective Perception ◽

Performance Task ◽

Related Factors ◽

Task Goal ◽

Systematic Effects

The present experiments were designed to test predictions from a model of mental workload. The model predicts non-linear increases in mental workload as perceived distance from a task goal grows and effective time for action is reduced. Diminution of mental workload is achieved by application of effort which brings the task goal into the region of acceptable time/distance constraints for successful resolution. Two experiments are reported which tested these assertions using the timepools performance task. Timepools is unique as a performance task in that it generates a spatial representation of a shrinking temporal target. The independent effects of path length, i.e., the number of sequential targets to be acquired, and shrink rate, i.e., the collapse time during which the circle is halved in area, may be assessed using performance variables such as reaction time (RT), movement time (MT), error rate (E), and the subjective perception of workload. Data from Experiment 1, indicate systematic effects for task related factors across performance and workload measures, although such a pattern was not isomorphically mapped to the a priori assumed difficulty of the task. In Experiment 2, shrink rate and path length had independent effect on RT and MT respectively, which were reflected in components of the individual workload scales. The ramifications with respect to the model are elaborated.

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The Internal Structure of a Time Estimation Task

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1985.60.2.618 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 60 (2) ◽

pp. 618-618

Author(s):

David R. Saunders

Keyword(s):

Internal Structure ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Estimation Task ◽

Time Estimation Task

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The effects of sleep loss in a combined tracking and time estimation task

Ergonomics ◽

10.1080/00140139408963715 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 37 (6) ◽

pp. 1021-1030 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

HARRIE G. M. BOHNEN ◽

ANTHONY W. K. GAILLARD

Keyword(s):

Time Estimation ◽

Sleep Loss ◽

Estimation Task ◽

Time Estimation Task

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Activation of insular cortex and subcortical regions related to feedback stimuli in a time estimation task: An fMRI study

Neuroscience Letters ◽

10.1016/j.neulet.2006.01.061 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 399 (1-2) ◽

pp. 39-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Tetsuji Tsukamoto ◽

Yasunori Kotani ◽

Yoshimi Ohgami ◽

Kazufumi Omura ◽

Yusuke Inoue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Insular Cortex ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Estimation Task ◽

Fmri Study ◽

Subcortical Regions ◽

Time Estimation Task

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Development of Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (Peter): Time Estimation

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1980.51.2.655 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 655-665 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Michael E. Mc Cauley ◽

Robert S. Kennedy ◽

Alvah C. Bittner

Keyword(s):

Performance Evaluation ◽

Performance Test ◽

Constant Error ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Environmental Research ◽

Unique Contribution ◽

Repeated Testing ◽

Estimation Task ◽

Variable Error ◽

Time Estimation Task

A time-estimation task was considered for inclusion in the Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (PETER) battery. As part of this consideration, the effects of repeated testing on the reliability of time judgments were studied. The method of production was used to estimate eight time intervals. Five trials per day at each interval were administered individually to each of 19 subjects for 15 consecutive workdays. Two scores, constant error and variable error, were reported. The effect of days was not significant for constant error and was moderate for variable error ( p < .04). The standard deviations were relatively stable across trials. A pronounced decline in reliability over repeated days of testing was found for both errors. It was concluded that this time-estimation test would be a poor candidate for inclusion in PETER, but further research is warranted because of the potential unique contribution of a time-estimation task in a performance test battery.

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The Devil You Know

Psychological Science ◽

10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02183.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 962-967 ◽

Cited By ~ 107

Author(s):

Jacob B. Hirsh ◽

Michael Inzlicht

Keyword(s):

Negative Feedback ◽

Neural Activity ◽

Evoked Potential ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Affective Responses ◽

Event Related Potential ◽

Estimation Task ◽

Feedback Information ◽

Time Estimation Task ◽

The Devil

Individuals differ in the extent to which they respond negatively to uncertainty. Although some individuals feel little discomfort when facing the unknown, those high in neuroticism find it aversive. We examined neurophysiological responses to uncertainty using an event-related potential framework. Participants completed a time-estimation task while their neural activity was recorded via electroencephalography. The feedbackrelated negativity (FRN), an evoked potential that peaks approximately 250 ms after the receipt of feedback information, was examined under conditions of positive, negative, and uncertain feedback. The magnitude of these responses was then analyzed in relation to individual differences in neuroticism. As expected, a larger FRN was observed after negative feedback than after positive feedback for all participants. For individuals who scored highly on trait neuroticism, however, uncertain feedback produced a larger neural response than did negative feedback. These results are discussed in terms of affective responses to uncertainty among neurotic individuals.

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