A Cognitive Efficiency Approach to Assessing Workload-Performance Tradeoffs in Human-Autonomy Teams

Team environments increasingly integrate autonomous technologies to reduce workload and enhance performance. However, traditional metrics may overlook indirect benefits, particularly cognitive efficiency—the balance between workload and performance. This study examined how autonomous decision support systems (ADSS) affected cognitive efficiency and team communication in a high-fidelity simulated combat environment. Twenty-eight military personnel completed ten missions, alternating between conditions with and without ADSS that provided task-switching cues and flexible task allocation. Results showed that missions using ADSS produced higher cognitive efficiency, indicating improved performance relative to workload, though benefits varied by role and team. Teams also demonstrated enhanced communication patterns with ADSS, using more insight-related language, and maintaining a more positive tone. These findings highlight cognitive efficiency as a valuable metric for evaluating autonomy in complex environments and reveal how autonomous systems can enhance team effectiveness through improved team processes.