Mental workload and motor performance dynamics during practice of reaching movements under various levels of task difficulty

The Role of Task Difficulty in Learning a Visuomotor Skill

“…2A-B), the magnitude of skill acquisition and retention were both independent of task difficulty. Previous studies suggested a putative role for mental effort in the effects of task difficulty on motor learning by reporting correlated increases in mental workload and motor learning (12,15). Clearly, this was not the case in the present study, as perceived mental demand did not differ between difficulty levels participants ignored those percentages and instead aimed for the middle of the star wall (Fig.…”

“…individual variations in mental workload and performance occurred with increasing nominal task difficulty (15). The current results also show high variability within groups as well as in the magnitude of learning.…”

“…The optimal challenge point framework suggests that in addition to nominal task difficulty, individual characteristics can also affect motor learning. One important individual factor is the ability to process information, which varies widely between individuals (15)(16)(17). In a reaching task with two levels of nominal difficulty, a cluster analysis revealed that more pronounced…”

“…experienced difficulty level (1,15). Although the amount of available information from a task is directly related to nominal task difficulty, the amount of interpretable information also depends on individual characteristics such as initial skill level and the capacity to process information (16,17).…”

“…In addition to the nominal task difficulty, the functional task difficulty should be also taken into account. Recently, the measure of mental workload through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) has been put forward as a subjective measure of functional task difficulty (12,15,18). Designed to measure mental workload in pilots, the NASA-TLX is a valid index of mental workload in a variety of contexts, including motor learning (19).…”