The adaptive operator

This paper presents a framework for mental workload that describes the adaptive nature of human beings in interacting with the environment. The framework is a result of many years of mental workload research in different complex task situations. This framework can be used to understand the role of mental workload in complex task situations as well as the dissociation of outcomes of different workload measures that is often observed. These issues are important for effective implementation of adaptive automation. Furthermore, the framework can be of value in discussions about the role of operator state assessment in adaptive automation.