Workload and Stress of Configural Displays in Vigilance Tasks

The workload and stress associated with configural displays in two vigilance tasks were investigated. Two kinds of configural displays were employed: A bar graph display and an object display. A non-configural bar graph display served as a control group. Relative to the non-configural display, both configural displays improved performance in a task requiring integration of information, but were not significantly different from the control group in a task requiring focused attention to display elements. The object display reduced workload i n both tasks, but the b ar graph c onfigural display did not. Results showed a complex pattern of associatioddissociation of workload with performance. Self reports of stress revealed that the tasks were stressful but that configural displays did not reduce the stress of either task.