Type A behavior pattern, multiple-task performance, and subjective estimation of mental workload

Abstract

This paper examines the relation between the Type A behavior pattern, individual differences in multiple-task performance, and the dissociation between performance and subjective estimates of mental workload. Sixteen females completed the Jenkins Activity Survey and performed a variety of information processing tasks under single- and dual-task conditions. After each task, subjects rated the workload they had experienced on eight bipolar adjective scales. The slope of the memory-search task was the only single-task performance measure that showed a significant difference between Type As (36 msec) and Type Bs (68 msec). However, on three of the four dual-task combinations, Type As had faster response times than Type Bs. Dissociations between performance and subjective estimates of workload were apparent between Type A and Type B individuals on the frustration and fatigue scales. Type As reported less frustration and more fatigue under single-task than under dual-task conditions, whereas Type Bs reported the opposite pattern.