A preliminary psychometric evaluation of the eight-item cognitive load scale.
Grant A Pignatiello, Emily Tsivitse, Ronald L Hickman
PMID 29579506WHAT IT FOUND
The eight-item Cognitive Load Scale measured surrogate decision makers' reported cognitive load well enough for research, but some items were ambiguous.
Scores were low, and reported load did not differ between decision support tools.
Key findings
01The scale's intrinsic and extraneous subscale scores showed adequate internal consistency.
02Exploratory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure, but some items loaded on both factors.
03Reported cognitive load was low, and the decision support conditions did not significantly differ.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample was 62 surrogate decision makers from four ICUs at one academic medical center, so the findings may not apply to other hospitals, cultures, or decision-making situations. The authors call this a preliminary psychometric evaluation and say the sample was underpowered to explain why some items loaded on both factors. Cognitive load was measured only once, after the decision support activity, so it may not reflect load during the activity. The study did not test whether low cognitive load scores lead to better decisions, less decision conflict, or less regret. Item 1 and item 2 loaded on both intrinsic and extraneous factors, so those items may not clearly separate the two types of load.
Declared interests
The supplied article text does not include a conflicts of interest or funding declaration. The publication types list NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read low cognitive load scores as proof that families understood the decision support or were ready to make decisions. The study measured a research scale after one activity and did not test decision outcomes.