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Variations in objective workloads and their effects on psychological and behavioral strain were the focus of this laboratory investigation. Quantitative and qualitative overload, underload, and transient work-load were created by varying the number or difficulty of the problem-solving tasks (anagrams) subjects were given across each of eight trial periods. Overloads were predicted to be more stressful than under-loads, and qualitative workloads were expected to produce greater strain than quantitative workloads. Measures taken included: perceived workload, perceived pressure, task enjoyment, self-esteem, self-reported anxiety, hostility, depression, and post-work-load performance. Results were somewhat supportive of the hypotheses.
Shaw et al. (Mon,) studied this question.