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Cue Utilization Differentiates Performance in the Management of Interruptions
Emma C Falkland1, Mark W Wiggins1, Johanna I Westbrook2
17788 Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Human Factors
|June 26, 2019
Summary
Individuals with better cue utilization skills experienced less performance decline when interrupted during demanding tasks. This suggests cue utilization is key for managing interruptions in high-workload environments.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Factors Engineering
- Operational Performance
Background:
- High-risk environments demand operators manage frequent interruptions under high workload.
- Interruptions deplete cognitive resources, negatively impacting primary task performance.
- Cue utilization may enhance interruption management by leveraging long-term memory patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of cue utilization in managing interruptions during high workload.
- To determine if cue utilization influences performance decrements caused by interruptions.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments utilized a simulated rail control task under high workload conditions.
- Participants completed cue utilization assessments before managing multiple interruptions.
- Experiment 2 included breaks to further examine interruption management strategies.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between cue utilization capacity and performance resilience.
- Participants with higher cue utilization showed a reduced performance loss after interruptions.
Conclusions:
- Greater cue utilization capacity is linked to superior performance in managing interruptions.
- This finding is particularly relevant for high-workload, high-consequence operational settings.
- Cue utilization assessments can aid in selecting and training operators for critical roles.
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