Effect of information load and cognitive style on cognitive load of visualized dashboards for construction-related activities

A well-designed visualized dashboard could provide intuitive information to construction project managers for effective decision-making. However, the impact of information load of dashboards on cognitive load has rarely been investigated. The roles of user cognitive styles were also ignored. This study examined the effect of dashboard information load and user cognitive style on cognitive load when using dashboards in the construction industry. We designed a visual search experiment with five information load levels. Fifty-six participants, divided into field-dependent (FD) and field-independent (FI) groups, participated in the experiment. The results showed that the FI group had a lower cognitive load and was more efficient than the FD group. The effect of information load on cognitive load followed a piecewise linear correlation with the two prominent knots. The findings underscore the importance of assessing the information load and providing psychological underpinnings for cognitive-fit dashboard design for smart construction management.