<p>Since you mentioned the Stroop specifically, several versions of the Stroop task are available for Inquisit <a href="http://www.millisecond.com/download/library/stroop/" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</p>

<p>Randall Engle's lab also maintains a set of validated <a href="http://englelab.gatech.edu/tasks.html" rel="nofollow">working memory tasks</a>, which are available on request to researchers. They include full and shortened versions of operation-, symmetry-, reading- and rotation-span for E-Prime 2.0.</p>

<p>Assuming I read the question correctly, any of these should satisfy the requirements.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-08T08:53:00.843Z
Would I be able to easily run Inquisit side-by-side with the primary task, just to trigger the secondary tasks? I would prefer having control over how to show the tasks for minimal intrusion into the actual work environment of the user. Same question for E-prime.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-08T08:56:55.933Z
@StevenJeuris Hard to say without knowing your setup. Inquisit has a 30-day trial version you can download, though, so I suppose you could quickly find out.
Christian Hummeluhr
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-08T08:57:52.827Z
If not I can still just export the particular tasks I suppose, possibly manually (if that would be allowed).
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-07T19:10:27.837Z
2015-05-07T19:10:27.837Z
Christian Hummeluhr
<p>Performance on secondary tasks next to a primary task is sometimes used to assess mental workload (Ogden, Levine and Eisner, 1979). For example, the Stroop test as a secondary task has been evaluated by Gwizdka (2010).</p>

<p>However, a lot of effort goes into setting up these tasks, so I was wondering whether there are any open, ready-made task sets available which would be suitable for this purpose.</p>

<p>Some desirable characteristics I am looking for:</p>

<ul>
<li>One task shouldn't be considerably harder than another.</li>
<li>Performing one task shouldn't take considerably longer than another.</li>
<li>Overall, one task shouldn't take too long, so the amount of tasks done can also be used as a measurement of mental workload.</li>
</ul>

<p><sub>
Ogden, G. D., Levine, J. M., &amp; Eisner, E. J. (1979). <a href="http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/21/5/529.short" rel="nofollow">Measurement of workload by secondary tasks.</a> Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 21(5), 529-548.<br>
Gwizdka, J. (2010, August). <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1962300.1962345" rel="nofollow">Using stroop task to assess cognitive load</a>. In Proceedings of the 28th Annual European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics (pp. 219-222). ACM.
</sub></p>

<methodology><experimental-psychology><software><human-factors>
Are there any open task sets available to assess workload using secondary task measures?
Steven Jeuris
# Are there any open task sets available to assess workload using secondary task measures?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-06-26)

Performance on secondary tasks next to a primary task is sometimes used to assess mental workload (Ogden, Levine and Eisner, 1979). For example, the Stroop test as a secondary task has been evaluated by Gwizdka (2010).

However, a lot of effort goes into setting up these tasks, so I was wondering whether there are any open, ready-made task sets available which would be suitable for this purpose.

Some desirable characteristics I am looking for:

* One task shouldn't be considerably harder than another.
* Performing one task shouldn't take considerably longer than another.
* Overall, one task shouldn't take too long, so the amount of tasks done can also be used as a measurement of mental workload.

Ogden, G. D., Levine, J. M., & Eisner, E. J. (1979). [Measurement of workload by secondary tasks.](http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/21/5/529.short) Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 21(5), 529-548.  
Gwizdka, J. (2010, August). [Using stroop task to assess cognitive load](http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1962300.1962345). In Proceedings of the 28th Annual European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics (pp. 219-222). ACM.

**Tags:** methodology, experimental-psychology, software, human-factors


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-05-07. Score: 3

Since you mentioned the Stroop specifically, several versions of the Stroop task are available for Inquisit [here](http://www.millisecond.com/download/library/stroop/).

Randall Engle's lab also maintains a set of validated [working memory tasks](http://englelab.gatech.edu/tasks.html), which are available on request to researchers. They include full and shortened versions of operation-, symmetry-, reading- and rotation-span for E-Prime 2.0.

Assuming I read the question correctly, any of these should satisfy the requirements.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Would I be able to easily run Inquisit side-by-side with the primary task, just to trigger the secondary tasks? I would prefer having control over how to show the tasks for minimal intrusion into the actual work environment of the user. Same question for E-prime.  
> **username_1**: @StevenJeuris Hard to say without knowing your setup. Inquisit has a 30-day trial version you can download, though, so I suppose you could quickly find out.  
> **username_0**: If not I can still just export the particular tasks I suppose, possibly manually (if that would be allowed).  

---

