A Multifaceted Investigation of the Link Between Mental Fatigue and Task Disengagement

Overview

Journal Psychophysiology

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2014 Sep 30

PMID 25263028

Citations 92

Authors

Jesper F Hopstaken

Dimitri Van der Linden

Arnold B Bakker

Michiel A J Kompier

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Mental fatigue is often characterized by reduced motivation for effortful activity and impaired task performance. We used subjective, behavioral (performance), and psychophysiological (P3, pupil diameter) measures during an n-back task to investigate the link between mental fatigue and task disengagement. After 2 h, we manipulated the rewards to examine a possible reengagement effect. Analyses showed that, with increasing fatigue and time-on-task, performance, P3 amplitude, and pupil diameter decreased. After increasing the rewards, all measures reverted to higher levels. Multilevel analysis revealed positive correlations between the used measures with time-on-task. We interpret these results as support for a strong link between task disengagement and mental fatigue.

Citing Articles

Strength of Low-Frequency EEG Phase Entrainment to External Stimuli Is Associated with Fluctuations in the Brain's Internal State.

Maki-Marttunen V, Velinov A, Nieuwenhuis S eNeuro. 2025; 12(1).

PMID: 39779324 PMC: 11772043. DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0064-24.2024.

Analysis of goal, feedback and rewards on sustained attention via machine learning.

Fernando N, Robison M, Maia P Front Behav Neurosci. 2025; 18:1386723.

PMID: 39763614 PMC: 11701782. DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1386723.

An exploration of the influencing factors of privacy fatigue among mobile social media users from the configuration perspective.

Wang W, Wu Q, Li D, Tian X Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):427.

PMID: 39748026 PMC: 11696017. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-84646-z.

Shifts in task absorption during decision-making episodes.

Juyumaya J, Torres J, Maldonado P Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):25277.

PMID: 39455804 PMC: 11511923. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-75921-0.

Unraveling the interplay between mental workload, occupational fatigue, physiological responses and cognitive performance in office workers.

Mahdavi N, Tapak L, Darvishi E, Doosti-Irani A, Shafiee Motlagh M Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):17866.

PMID: 39090219 PMC: 11294527. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68889-4.