Individual and contextual determinants of subjective cognitive fatigue

Abstract

Cognitive fatigue refers to the decline in mental efficiency and accompanying feelings of strain and weariness that occur over time-on-task. This study extends previous research on the determinants of cognitive fatigue by evaluating the independent and joint effects of individual differences in extraversion and performance context (individual vs. team) on reports of fatigue. Using a within-subjects counterbalanced design, 92 undergraduate participants performed a three-hour series of problem-solving tasks alone and as part of a four-person team. Results indicated main effects for context, such that all participants report greater fatigue in the solitary performance context compared to the team context. Extraversion was also negatively related to fatigue across time-on-task. However, no extraversion X context interaction was observed. I conclude that task engagement provides a specific source of variance in fatigue-reduction, and suggest that extraverts benefit more from task-related arousal or state positive affect.