Design and validation of a simulated multitasking environment for assessing the cognitive load on the infantry squad leader

Abstract

The increasing cognitive load on infantry squad leaders is a common challenge in modern military operations. As this can increase health and safety risks, there is a need to study the factors responsible for the increase in cognitive load. Ecological situations inherently lack strong experimental controls; therefore, microworlds that simulate real tasks are the usual alternative to field studies. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are currently no microworlds that reproduce the main tasks of the squad leader during operations. This article adresses this gap by describing the design and validation of a new microworld: the Simulated Multitasking Environment for the Squad leader (SMES). Qualitative research was firstly conducted to highlight several squad leader’s generic tasks (i.e., common to many situations in the field) that guided the design of the SMES. Psychometric validation of the SMES was then based on two experiments: (i) the first evaluated the microworld’s psychometric qualities when tasks were performed individually; and (ii) the second explored concurrent tasks, reflecting real-world complexity. The results showed that the parameters manipulated for each task were relevant for inducing cognitive load, measured using a secondary detection response task and the NASA-TLX questionnaire. The SMES demonstrated satisfactory convergent and content validity in multitasking but not in single-task conditions. Performance in multitasking situations therefore does not seem to depend on task-specific skills, suggesting the existence of an independent factor–multitasking ability. Theoretical and practical implications of the SMES validation are discussed.