The effect of frequent versus infrequent interruptions on primary task resumption

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Monk
Keyword(s):  
Primary Task ◽  
Task Resumption

The Effect of Interruption Modality on Primary Task Resumption

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj M. Ratwani ◽  
Alyssa E. Andrews ◽  
Jenny D. Sousk ◽  
Gregory Trafton
Keyword(s):  
Primary Task ◽  
Task Resumption

scholarly journals Aging impairs primary task resumption and attentional control processes following interruptions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlene Roesner ◽  
Bianca Zickerick ◽  
Melinda Sabo ◽  
Daniel Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Attentional Selection ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Memory Content ◽  
Task Resumption

Attentional selection of working memory content is impaired after an interruption. This effect was shown to increase with age. Here we investigate how electrophysiological mechanisms underlying attentional selection within working memory differ during primary task resumption between younger and older adults. Participants performed a working memory task, while be-ing frequently interrupted with either a cognitively low- or high-demanding arithmetic task. Afterwards, a retrospective cue (retro-cue) indicated the working memory content required for later report. The detrimental effect of the interruption was evident in both age groups, but while younger adults were more strongly affected by a high- than by a low-demanding inter-ruption, the performance deficit appeared independently of the cognitive requirements of the interruption task in older adults. A similar pattern was found regarding frontal-posterior con-nectivity in the theta frequency range, suggesting that aging decreases the ability to selectively maintain relevant information within working memory. The power of mid-frontal theta oscilla-tions (4-7 Hz) featured a comparable effect of interruptions in both age groups. However, pos-terior alpha power (8-14 Hz) following the retro-cue was more diminished by a preceding in-terruption in older adults. These results suggest an age-related deficit in the attentional selec-tion and maintenance of primary task information following an interruption that appeared in-dependent from the cognitive requirements of the interrupting task.

Effects of a Warning on Interruption Recovery in Dynamic Settings

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 1304-1308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Labonté ◽  
Sébastien Tremblay ◽  
François Vachon
Keyword(s):  
Public Safety ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Decision Accuracy ◽  
Task Resumption

Operators working in extreme environments are often confronted with task interruptions. These interruptions tend to impair performance, which can represent a threat to public safety. Most of the tools designed to aid task resumption in such dynamic contexts are post-interruption solutions consisting of providing information about missed events once the interruption is over. The goal of the present study is to test whether a pre-interruption solution consisting of warning operators of an impending interruption can also facilitate interruption recovery. We employed a microworld simulating above-water warfare and compared primary task recovery following an interruption that could either be notified (8 s before it takes place) or not. Results revealed enhanced post-interruption decision accuracy and speed when providing foreknowledge of the imminent interruption. These findings suggest that a pre-interruption warning, which has already proven effective in static contexts, can also support interruption recovery in dynamic settings.

More is Less: The Effect of Single and Multiple Interleaved Interruptions on Task Resumption

2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-252
Author(s):  
David G. Kidd ◽  
Christopher A. Monk
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Duration Task ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Task Resumption

People experience and handle interruptions on a daily basis. One strategy that people use to manage interruptions is to interleave an interrupting task with a primary task. Past interruptions research has mostly looked at the effects of a single interruption on primary task performance. This study sought to expand on past research by examining primary task performance during a period of interleaved interruptions. In this study, participants experienced either a single interruption or a series of interruptions that increased or decreased in duration. Task resumption in both interleaved interruption conditions was significantly faster than in the single interruption condition. The findings suggest that interleaving interruptions leads to more efficient task resumption than resuming after a single interruption.

Using Peripheral Processing and Spatial Memory to Facilitate Task Resumption

2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj M. Ratwani ◽  
Alyssa E. Andrews ◽  
Malcolm McCurry ◽  
J. Gregory Trafton ◽  
Matthew S. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Spatial Memory ◽  
Spatial Representation ◽  
Interface Reaction ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Partial Occlusion ◽  
Instant Message ◽  
Specific Goal ◽  
Task Resumption

Theories accounting for the process of primary task resumption following an interruption have focused on the suspension and retrieval of a specific goal (Altmann & Trafton, 2002). The ability to recall the spatial location of where in the task one was prior to being interrupted may also be important. We show that being able to maintain a spatial representation of the primary task facilitates task resumption. Participants were interrupted by an instant message window that either partially or fully occluded the primary task interface. Reaction time measures show that participants were faster at resuming in the partial occlusion condition. In addition, eye track data suggest that participants were more accurate at returning to where they left off, suggesting that they were able to maintain a spatial representation of the task and use this information to resume more quickly.

The Effect of Interruption Modality on Primary Task Resumption

2008 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj M. Ratwani ◽  
Alyssa E. Andrews ◽  
Jenny D. Sousk ◽  
J. Gregory Trafton
Keyword(s):  
Primary Task ◽  
Task Resumption

The Effects of Brief Interruptions on Task Resumption

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Monk ◽  
David G. Kidd
Keyword(s):  
Task Resumption
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