On the Workload of Vigilance: Comparison of the NASA-TLX and the MRQ

The utility of the Multiple Resources Questionnaire (MRQ) as a workload index in vigilance was assessed by comparing the sensitivity of the scale to that of the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) in response to challenges provided by variations in task-type and operating environment. Both instruments showed that global workload was high and that it was greater in the context of Successive (absolute judgment) as compared to Simultaneous (comparative judgment) type tasks. In addition, the MRQ indicated that workload was greater when observers operated in a multi-task as compared to a single-task environment, a dimension to which the NASA-TLX was not sensitive. The MRQ added to diagnosticity in the workload picture by identifying information-processing resources utilized across experimental conditions and sets of resources that were condition specific, resources not encompassed by the NASA-TLX. The results of this study indicate that the MRQ can be of effective value in measuring the workload imposed by vigilance tasks

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