Exploring the impact of mental workload on performance the role of working memory

Mental workload is one of the complex representations of an individual's mental state while involving the amount of cognitive processing and resources during the execution of the task. As attentiveness is recognized as the functional state of an individual. The present study addresses the interaction of mental workload during arithmetic tasks of varied difficulty indices on executive function. The study reflects that the limited capacity of working memory accessible during mental load depends on the functional state of an individual. The low mental workload was manipulated by using a single operator for addition problems and high mental workload through three operators. The same action was performed with a corresponding subtraction operation. The results found during both operations as the complexity increases the performance decreases and need more time for processing. The results specify that mental workload may be the outcome of different individual related attributes, including practice, flexibility and strategy selection. The study suggests that overcoming the fixed mindset requires solutions that are adaptable and flexible, enabling individuals to embrace the idea that cognitive functioning can be enhanced through effort and effective strategies. It suggests that a holistic module should be developed to provide more effective solutions, rather than managing mental workload aspects separately.