Human Mental Workload: A Survey and a Novel Inclusive Definition

Longo, Luca; Wickens, Christopher D.; Hancock, Gabriella M.; Hancock, Peter A. · 2022 · Frontiers in Psychology

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.883321

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Summary

This review paper addresses the lack of a universally accepted definition and standardized framework for human mental workload (MWL), a critical construct in Human Factors, Ergonomics, and Neuroscience. The authors were motivated by the proliferation of disparate operational definitions and the isolated use of measurement techniques, which hinder the development of robust computational models and the optimization of human-machine interactions. The study aims to synthesize the current state of the art to guide future empirical research and improve the prediction of human performance. The authors conducted a comprehensive survey of the literature using Google Scholar, screening approximately 1,000 entries for the terms “mental workload” and “cognitive workload.” After excluding works that merely mentioned MWL without contributing to its measurement, definition, or evaluation, they analyzed over 500 relevant articles. The review synthesized findings across three foundational dimensions: theoretical background, operational definitions, and measurement techniques. The authors extracted attributes such as publication year, research type, domain of application, and specific measures employed to classify and evaluate the breadth of existing research. The findings reveal that MWL is a complex, multidimensional construct influenced by inputs, processing, and learning. The authors organized numerous theories—such as Cognitive Load Theory, Flow Theory, and Multiple Resource Theory—into a unified framework illustrating how factors like task complexity, arousal, personality, and age impact workload. The review identified that existing definitions are often built on different theoretical assumptions and rarely examined collectively. Furthermore, the three main classes of MWL measures—self-report, task performance, and physiological indices—are frequently used in isolation or pairs rather than in conjunction. This fragmentation prevents the establishment of a single, reliable framework for MWL assessment. To address these gaps, the authors propose a novel, inclusive definition of mental workload that synthesizes existing operational definitions. They conclude that robust assessments of MWL require the comprehensive employment of physiological, task-performance, and self-report measures simultaneously. This proposed framework is intended to support the next generation of empirical research, facilitating better design of interactive technologies, minimization of human error, and optimization of user engagement across safety-critical domains like aviation and automotive industries. The work underscores the need for integrated measurement approaches to accurately quantify the mental cost of task performance.

Key finding

The authors propose a novel inclusive definition of mental workload and advocate for the integrated use of physiological, task-performance, and self-report measures to achieve more robust assessments.

Methodology

review

Sample size: 500

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• workload measurement
• mental demand

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: self report data
• Methodological Resource: metric or index
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model