ERIC Number: EJ824572
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Dec
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1076-898X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Effect of Interruption Duration and Demand on Resuming Suspended Goals
Monk, Christopher A.; Trafton, J. Gregory; Boehm-Davis, Deborah A.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, v14 n4 p299-313 Dec 2008
The time to resume task goals after an interruption varied depending on the duration and cognitive demand of interruptions, as predicted by the memory for goals model (Altmann & Trafton, 2002). Three experiments using an interleaved tasks interruption paradigm showed that longer and more demanding interruptions led to longer resumption times in a hierarchical, interactive task. The resumption time profile for durations up to 1 min supported the role of decay in defining resumption costs, and the interaction between duration and demand supported the importance of goal rehearsal in mitigating decay. These findings supported the memory for goals model, and had practical implications for context where tasks are frequently interleaved such as office settings, driving, emergency rooms, and aircraft cockpits. (Contains 2 tables and 5 figures.)
Descriptors: Goal Orientation, Memory, Time on Task, Cues, Vertical Organization, Interaction, Context Effect, Behavioral Science Research
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org/publications
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A