Abstract
Human multitasking is often the result of self-initiated interruptions in the performance of an ongoing task. Compared to externally induced interruptions, self-interruptions have not received enough research attention. To address this gap, this paper develops a detailed classification of self-interruptions rooted in positive and negative feelings of task progress based on responses subjects provided after completing a multitasking laboratory experiment. The results suggest that multitasking due to negative feelings is associated with more self-interruptions than those triggered by positive feelings and that more self-interruptions may produce lower accuracy in all tasks. Therefore, negative internal triggers of self-interruptions seem to unleash a downward spiral that ultimately affects performance.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages | 1763-1768 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | 30th ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2012 - Austin, TX, United States Duration: May 5 2012 → May 10 2012 |
Other
| Other | 30th ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2012 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Austin, TX |
| Period | 5/5/12 → 5/10/12 |
Keywords
- interruptions
- multitasking
- performance
- self-interruptions
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design
- Software