Is rest simply the best? An Investigation of the effectiveness and acceptance of a rest break and a motor task regarding the reduction of mental fatigue

Kurzfassung

On a daily basis, Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) perform a safety-critical job, including the gathering, processing and integration of information from different sources into a comprehensive picture. These tasks require executive control, which can be impaired by the functional state Mental Fatigue (MF). MF results from prolonged task execution and leads to increased reaction times, error rates, and a subjective feeling of exhaustion, due to depleted resources. To ensure ATCOs cognitive performance, effectively reducing this state is crucial. This study investigates the effectiveness and acceptance of a rest break and a motor task as interventions for MF reduction (N = 54). Participants underwent a 60-minute Stroop test, interrupted by a 10-minute intervention. Both interventions significantly reduced subjective MF and improved reaction times. The motor task was rated higher in terms of its appreciation and feasibility than the rest break. The results emphasize the effectiveness of both interventions for MF reduction. According to the findings, integrating a motor task into the break design for ATCOs could lead to successful resource recharging and seems to represent a pleasant alternative to regular rest breaks.