Task-invoked pupillary response (also known as the "Task-Evoked pupillary response") is a pupillary response caused by a cognitive load imposed on a human and as a result of the decrease in parasympathetic activity in the peripheral nervous system.[1] It is found to result in a linear increase in pupil dilation as the demand a task places on the working memory increases. Beatty evaluated task-invoked pupillary response in different tasks for short-term memory, language processing, reasoning, perception, sustained attention and selective attention and found that it fulfills Kahneman's three criteria for indicating processing load.[2][3] That is, it can reflect differences in processing load within a task, between different tasks and between individuals. It is used as an indicator of cognitive load levels in psychophysiology research.[2]
- ^ Kramer AF (1991). "Physiological metrics of mental workload: A review of recent progress.". In Damos DL (ed.). Multiple-task Performance. London: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
- ^ a b Beatty J (March 1982). "Task-evoked pupillary responses, processing load, and the structure of processing resources". Psychological Bulletin. 91 (2): 276–92. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.91.2.276. PMID 7071262.
- ^ Kahneman D (1973). Attention and effort. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-hall.