Psychological Aspects of Workload

TLDR

Work activities produce products and alter people, and workload is generally linked to performance decrements and health risks. The study adopts the conventional definition of workload. Workload can result in positive skill development and satisfaction, but it is typically taxing and may negatively affect performance and well‑being.

Abstract

Working activities are always productive in more than one respect. Concrete or imaginary objects are converted into a product as a result of working activities and in perfonning the activities people are altered. The outcome may be positive, i .e . the task has been completed successful ly and people have developed their ski l l s or have found satisfac­ tion through working activities. However, the outcome of work may also fai l to meet the standards specified in the work assignment or a person 's state may take a turn for the worse in performing the task. Positive outcomes are not l ikely to be associated with the term load, although meeting task demands is always taxing and requires effort, for demands are made on the abil ities and on the wil l ingness to dedicate these abil ities to the task. Thus, exposure to task demands does not necessari ly have to be con­ ceived of as a predominantly negative process, although it usually is. The term workload tends to be associated with decrements in performance or wi l l ingness to perform, or with the risk of impair­ment of the wel l-being and health of the task operator. We wi l l adhere to this convention.