Assessment of Cognitive Workload in Maritime Navigation Simulation Using Gaze Metrics

Cognitive workload and stress are key factors affecting human performance and safety in maritime navigation operations. This research proposes a composite gaze-tracking index, the Stress-Induced Gaze Pattern Score (SGPS), which integrates three complementary oculomotor metrics: pupil entropy, gaze dispersion, and gaze shift frequency. Single-blind research was conducted on a maritime navigation simulator with 65 participants of different ages, educational backgrounds, and maritime experience, who were exposed to an unexpected crisis scenario while eye movements and heart rate (HR) were simultaneously recorded. A two-layer interpretative model was introduced, in which SGPS serves as a quantitative measure of workload intensity, while FSR (Fixation-to-Saccade Ratio) acts as a qualitative moderator. Results showed that SGPS significantly correlated with HR in students (r = 0.77 in the acute phase, r = 0.74 in the sustained phase), thereby confirming its validity. At the whole-sample level, a significant correlation was observed in the sustained phase (r = 0.26, p = 0.05), suggesting broader applicability of the index. SGPS represents a promising objective tool for assessing cognitive workload in maritime simulation training and education, enabling early recognition of maladaptive stress responses, such as panic searching and cognitive tunnelling.