Single and Multiple Interruptions Increase Task Completion Time, But Don’t Affect Stress, Pressure or Flow

Maureen Conard and Robert Marsh ()
Additional contact information
Maureen Conard: College of Arts and Sciences, Sacred Heart University
Robert Marsh: John F. Welch College of Business, Sacred Heart University

No 2010002, Working Papers from Sacred Heart University, John F. Welch College of Business

Abstract: We compared task performance time and psychological reactions for uninterrupted, single interrupted, and multiple interrupted conditions. For 110 undergraduates, those who were uninterrupted while completing a jigsaw puzzle were 26% faster than the single interruption, and 30% faster than the multiple interruption conditions. Single and multiple interruption conditions were not significantly different. Participants in the multiple interruption condition felt more stress than those in the uninterrupted condition, although stress levels were low in both conditions. Perceptions of time pressure and flow were not different across conditions. Performance on the interrupting task (a word search puzzle) was not significantly different across conditions. An interruption or multiple interruptions significantly and substantially slowed performance although participants were not psychologically bothered by being interrupted.

Keywords: Interruptions; Flow; Worker Efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 20 pages
Date: 2010-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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