Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess low to high levels of Cognitive Workload by measuring heart rate and cortical blood flow in real-time. Four conditions were implemented into a within-subjects experimental design. Two conditions of difficulty and two conditions of trial order were used to illicit different levels of workload which will be analyzed with psychophysiological equipment. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) has become more prominent for measuring the blood oxygenation levels in the prefrontal cortex of individuals operating in hazardous work environments, students with learning disabilities, and in research for military training. This is due to the fNIR device being highly mobile, inexpensive, and able to produce a high-spatial resolution of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during executive functioning. Heart Rate will be measured by an Electrocardiogram, which will be used in concordance with fNIR oxygenation levels to predict if an individual is in a condition that produces low or high mental workload. Successfully utilizing heart rate and blood oxygenation data as predictors of cognitive workload may validate implementing multiple physiological devices together in real-time and may be a more accurate solution for preventing excessive workload.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2013

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Bohil, Corey

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Degree Program

Psychology

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences; Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

PDF

Identifier

CFH0004478

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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Included in

Psychology Commons

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