Enhancing Training With Well-Designed Checklists

The theory of mental workload suggests that job aids should be particularly useful if they provide resources for individuals without creating excessive, additional cognitive burden. We tested this proposition by examining the individual and interactive effects of task-based training and checklist design on training performance. Undergraduate students (N = 229) were randomly assigned to task-based or non-task-based training, and to one of three checklists or no checklist to aid training performance. The three checklists were (1) designed to provide low levels of detail but highly structured, (2) high levels of detail and highly structured or (3) high levels of detail with low structure. Results suggest checklists improve accuracy and also minimize psychological strain, yet at the cost of reduced speed. This suggests industries in which accuracy is critical to performance outcomes should consider how checklists, such as safety checklists, are designed. Implications for checklist design and provision are discussed.