Evaluating gender-based effectiveness within multi-attribute task battery studies

Abstract

The prevalent notion that females outperform males in multitasking is challenged by scrutinizing the cognitive abilities of each gender across various demand scenarios (Buser & Peter, 2012; Lui et al., 2020; Szameitat et al., 2015). Investigating cognitive performance at two levels of workload defined as high- and low-demand situations, this research delves into task-specific variations, cognitive strategies, and adaptability to multitasking challenges. Sixty participants in total, with thirty participants in each gender group, engaged in tasks encompassing resource management, tracking, monitoring, and communication using the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory's Multi- Attribute Task Battery simulation software. Statistical variance analysis demonstrated notable task discrepancies across different difficulty levels (DL). However, the gender-based analysis indicated non-significant differences in given tasks, except communication tasks. Findings indicate that men tend to perform well in tasks requiring communication and target tracking, benefiting from auditory cues, while women excel in fuel management, displaying strong decision-making abilities. In assessments of visual and spatial perception, females outperformed males at low difficulty levels, whereas males showed greater proficiency at high difficulty levels. This paper advocates for a balanced understanding and approach of cognitive abilities in diverse scenarios.