Impact of Multi-tasking Situations on the Dismounted Soldier's Cognitive Load

Impact of Multi-tasking Situations on the Dismounted Soldier's Cognitive Load

The increased complexity of the dismounted combatant's equipment can result in a strain on the various senses (e.g., visual, auditory) that can exceed an individual's limited information processing abilities. The combatant may thus be cognitively overloaded in multi-tasking operational situations.

There has been a great deal of research conducted on cognitive load. A battery of multitasking tests has been developed in the field of aeronautics, but, to our knowledge, no measurement of cognitive load specifically dedicated to combatants has been conducted yet.

Inclusion Criteria:

• be a group leader in an infantry regiment,
• be over 18 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

• be a woman,
• have a heart condition,
• have a visual disease not corrected by glasses or contact lenses,
• have a hearing score ≥ 2 on the SIGYCOP,
• have a psychiatric disorder, a progressive neurological or organic disease requiring drug treatment,
• take psychotropic drugs,
• take more than 28 units of alcohol per week.