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Updated: May 8, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Supporting interruption management and multimodal interface design: three meta-analyses of task performance as a

Sara A Lu¹, Christopher D Wickens, Julie C Prinet

¹Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, Center for Ergonomics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.

|August 23, 2013

Summary

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Multimodal interfaces improve interruption management. Tactile interruptions are faster for urgent messages, while auditory interruptions are better for complex signals, informing multimodal interface design.

Area of Science:

Human-Computer Interaction
Cognitive Psychology
Information Science

Background:

Multimodal interfaces are key for managing interruptions.
Effective multimodal design requires empirical data on information presentation channels.

Purpose of the Study:

To integrate empirical data on interruption modality effects on task performance.
To inform the design of multimodal interfaces for interruption management.

Main Methods:

Three meta-analyses examined interruption task modality (auditory, tactile, visual, redundant).
Sixty-eight studies were analyzed, considering six moderator variables.

Main Results:

Tactile interruptions yield faster response times for low-urgency messages.

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Last Updated: May 8, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

Tactile interruptions improve accuracy for low-complexity signals; auditory for high-complexity.

Redundant auditory-visual channels benefit high-workload communication tasks.

Conclusions:

Moderator variables are crucial for predicting interruption modality effects.
Findings support the design of effective multimodal interfaces in data-rich environments.