Examining the use of multiple cognitive load measures in evaluating online shopping convenience: an EEG study

Purpose In the past decade, the use of neurophysiological measures as a complementary source of information has contributed to our understanding of human–computer interaction. However, less attention has been given to their capability in providing measures with high temporal resolution. Two studies are designed to address the challenge of measuring users’ cognitive load in an online shopping environment and investigate how it is related to task difficulty, task uncertainty and shopping convenience. Design/methodology/approach Two experiments using behavioral and neurophysiological measures are conducted to investigate how various types of the cognitive load construct can be measured and used in an online shopping context. Findings Results of the first study suggest that although all cognitive load measures are influenced by task difficulty, only accumulated load (i.e. total cognitive load experienced during a task) is sensitive to task uncertainty. Results of the second study show that convenience negatively influences accumulated load, and the latter negatively influences user satisfaction. Practical implications Our research offers practical value by providing designers with a validated method to measure users’ cognitive load, enabling the identification of usability issues and design improvement. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by developing a rich and temporally high-resolution measurement of the cognitive load construct and examining how it can inform us about users’ cognitive state in an online shopping environment.