099 Performance Load
The mental and physical effort required to complete a task.
• There are two types of performance load: cognitive and kinematic.
• Cognitive load is the mental effort required to accomplish a goal (e.g., recalling a new phone number). Kinematic load is the physical effort required to accomplish a goal (e.g., dialing a phone number).
• When performance load is high, time and errors increase. When performance load is low, time and errors decrease.
• Minimize cognitive load by reducing information density, reducing the mental effort required to perform tasks, and automating tasks when possible.
• Minimize kinematic load by reducing the number of steps in tasks, reducing the physical effort required to perform tasks, and automating tasks when possible.
See Also Accessibility • Cost-Benefit • Depth of Processing
