ABSTRACT Intelligent technologies have shifted operator tasks from physical to cognitive demands, making it crucial to understand the impact of task load on visual search tasks. This study examined the effects of auditory working memory and visual perceptual load on inspection tasks using electroencephalography, electrooculography, and electromyography (EMG). Working memory load was varied by an N‐back task, and perceptual load by interference presence. Results indicated: (1) Excessive auditory working memory load induces interference suppression, with event‐related potential P300 and P200 amplitudes indicating sensitivity to perceptual load; (2) Delta, theta, alpha, and low beta band power spectral densities (PSDs) are sensitive to working memory load, with alpha being most sensitive; (3) Eye blink rate (EBR) increases with working memory load; (4) EMG activity detection may not effectively detect working memory load despite observed trends; (5) Strong positive correlations exist within PSD bands and between P300/P200 amplitudes at certain electrodes, with significant correlations between different modality indicators, such as negative correlations between EBR and low beta band PSD and positive correlations between root mean square, integrated EMG (iEMG), and F4 electrode P300 amplitude.
Wu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.