Measuring Cognitive Workload of Novice Law Enforcement Officers in a Naturalistic Driving Study

Abstract

There is a large amount of variation between novices and experts in their cognitive workload when performing tasks. A naturalistic pilot study was conducted with nine novice law enforcement officers (nLEOs) to determine how their use of in-vehicle technology affected their cognitive workload during their normal patrols. Physiological data were collected using a novel synchronization process for naturalistic driving studies, allowing heart rate variability and eye tracking measurements to be synchronized together and directly compared to subjective workload levels. It was found that nLEOs have average or higher workload compared to experienced officers and the general population when they are on duty. Future studies can utilize the approaches and findings of this pilot study for conducting naturalistic driving studies and developing cognitive performance models for novice users.