Introduction
It has been acknowledged that people are subjected to different levels of mental workload (MWL) at their work places. Different jobs are associated with different tasks, responsibilities and social interactions. This, in its turn, leads to different levels of MWL (Leka & Houdmont, 2010). In the first place, it is important to define the concept of MWL. Wickens (2008) notes that the concept characterizes “the demand imposed by tasks on the human’s limited mental resources, whether considered as single or multiple” (p. 452).
Researchers try to evaluate the levels of MWL associated with different jobs, to increase effectiveness of employees and reduce anxiety, job dissatisfaction and address various negative effects (Sassaroli et al., 2008). To take a closer look at different factors influencing levels of MWL, it is possible to focus on particular jobs.
The present paper dwells upon such areas as nursing, air traffic management and IT. Thus, it is possible to analyse such jobs as the nurse practitioner at geriatric nursing home, the en route air traffic controller and the IT professional. Different factors influencing MWL are examined for each job. The present paper also contains some recommendations concerning decreasing the level of MWL for one of the jobs.
Factors Contributing to MWL
Researchers single out various factors contributing to MWL. For instance, Rafnsdottir et al. (2004, p. 51) mention such factors as time pressure, dissatisfactory communication with colleagues, supervisors or clients, “dissatisfaction with the hierarchy at work” as well as violence and harassment at workplace. Rubio et al. (2004) focus on such factors as objective difficulty of tasks fulfilled and employees’ attitude towards their tasks. Metzger and Parasuraman (2005) also take into account such factor as employees’ self-confidence.
As far as the jobs mentioned above are concerned, it is possible to define particular factors contributing to MWL. IT professionals may be exposed to several factors contributing to MWL. In the first place, tasks completed by IT professionals may be monotonous at times. Notably, monotonous work is regarded as one of the factors contributing to MWL as people get mentally tired (Leka & Houdmont, 2010). IT professionals may also experience lack of communication and social interactions.
Admittedly, social interactions provide employees with the necessary relaxation at workplace, distracting employees from their tasks and giving the necessary rest to their brains. As for the tasks themselves, the complexity of the task can also contribute to MWL. Thus, when an employee cannot cope with a task, he/she feels anxiety, stress and job dissatisfaction.
As for the en route air traffic controllers, there are specific factors to examine. Loft et al. (2007) note that this job is associated with quite high level of MWL. The major factors contributing to MWL are time pressure, the necessity to make a lot of quick and correct decisions, interactions with others (pilots, controllers, etc.).
En route air traffic controllers experience considerable level of MWL due to the objective complexity of their tasks. Nonetheless, people who have the necessary skills, knowledge and have the necessary experience do not feel job dissatisfaction or fatigue as they have the necessary tools to handle tasks.
Finally, nurse practitioners at geriatric nurse homes have to cope with high levels of MWL. The major factors contributing to MWL are psychological, to great extent.
Rafnsdottir et al. (2004) report that these employees often feel dissatisfaction as they feel they do not fully meet patients’ as well as managers’ expectations. Besides, nurse practitioners are exposed to anxiety patients feel, and to their sufferings. Nurse practitioners have to comfort people who have really serious, painful and often terminal diseases. It can be psychologically difficult to work in such conditions.
Different Levels of MWL
The jobs mentioned above have quite different levels of MWL due to peculiarities of the jobs. The three jobs presuppose different tasks, different levels of responsibility and different levels of communication. Thus, IT professionals work with machines and communicate with their colleagues (the majority of their time they spend communicating with other IT professionals).
En route air traffic controllers have to handle much higher degree of responsibility. They are responsible for lives of many people. They also have to communicate with different professionals. En route air traffic controllers have to be very precise, organized and attentive. However, it is necessary to note that they still communicate with other people through machines, which creates certain alienation.
Nurse practitioners have to communicate with many people (patients, other practitioners, managers, patients’ relatives) in person. These employees are exposed to really hard feelings. They have to see suffering of people. At that, nurse practitioners cannot always alleviate patients’ sufferings. These factors make this job really difficult. Among the three jobs, this job has the highest level of MWL.
Recommendations
One of the major factors that contribute to MWL is dissatisfaction because of inability to “harmonize the demands and expectations of patients/employees/supervisors” (Rafnsdottir et al., 2004, p. 51). It is possible to address this problem. Thus, it is possible to launch special training. This training will presuppose gaining professional knowledge and sharing experience. Apart from gaining new skills and knowledge, nurse practitioners will be able to obtain self-confidence. They can obtain hope that all difficulties can be handled.
Apart from this, it can be also helpful to launch team building and recreation activities for nurse practitioners. Barbecues, sport competitions, concerts, etc. can help nurse practitioners relax. These activities can involve nurse practitioners only, or these could be combined teams (nurse practitioners, patients, supervisors, relatives, etc.).
Positive emotions will help employees handle various negative factors they are exposed to at work place. It is also important to make sure nurse practitioners can obtain the necessary psychological assistance when necessary.
Finally, it can be effective to monitor nurse practitioners’ job satisfaction several times a year. This will help researchers learn more about factors contributing to MWL. It will also help them come up with possible steps to decrease the level of MWL in this field. More so, it can also help work out general steps to decrease levels of MWL at different workplaces.
Conclusion
On balance, it is possible to note that different jobs have different levels of mental workload. These differences are due to different levels of responsibility and peculiarities of each job. Admittedly, there are various factors contributing to MWL, e.g. monotonous work, overcomplicated tasks, time pressure, etc.
However, jobs involving a lot of communication and social interactions have high levels of MWL. For instance, the profession of the nurse practitioner presupposes high levels of MWL as these employees have to see other people’s suffering, which is associated with significant psychological pressure. However, it is possible to decrease the level of MWL by launching specific training courses, team building and recreation activities. It can be effective to provide psychological assistance to nurse practitioners.
Reference List
Leka, S., & Houdmont, J. (2010). Occupational health psychology. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
Loft, S., Sanderson, P., Neal, A., & Mooij. (2007). Modeling and predicting mental workload in en route air traffic control: Critical review and broader implications. Human Factors, 49(3), 376-399.
Metzger, U., & Parasuraman, R. (2005). Automation in future air traffic management: Effects of decision aid reliability on controller performance and mental workload. Human Factors, 47(1), 1-15.
Rafnsdottir, G.L., Gunnarsdottir, H.K., & Tomasson, K. (2004). Work organization, well-being and health in geriatric care. Work, 22, 49-55.
Rubio, S., Diaz, E., Martin, J., & Puente J.M. (2004). Evaluation of subjective mental workload: A comparison of SWAT, NASA-TLX, and workload profile methods. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 53(1), 61-86.
Sassaroli, A., Zheng, F., Hirshfield, L.M., Girouard, A., Solovey, E.T., Jacob, R.J.K., & Fantini, S. (2008). Discrimination of mental workload levels in human subjects with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences, 1(2), 227-237.
Wickens, C.D. (2008). Multiple resources and mental workload. Human Factors, 50(3), 449-455.