A Validated Rating Scale for Global Mental Workload Measurement Applications

The Cooper-Harper (1969) scale has been extensively used for evaluation of aircraft handling qualities and associated mental workload. The scale is a 10-point scale with a decision tree. A modified version of the scale, called the MCH scale, has been devised for the purpose of assessing workload in systems other than those where the human operator performs motor tasks; namely, where perceptual, mediational, and communications activity is present. The MCH scale has been validated in three different experiments. The scale is recommended for applications in which overall mental workload is to be assessed.