Complexity of interruptions: Evidence supporting a non-interruption-based theory

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Interruptions disrupt concentration, with effects varying by task complexity.
• Processes underlying primary task resumption after complex interruptions remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how interrupting task complexity and break duration influence primary task resumption.
• To differentiate between task-switching and interruption-based models of cognitive load.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments manipulated interrupting task complexity (simple vs. complex) and break duration (0-3000 ms).
• Measured resumption lags (RL) to quantify time taken to restart the primary task.

Main Results:

• Complex interruptions caused longer RL without breaks.
• RL for simple interruptions were unaffected by breaks up to 1500 ms.
• RL for complex interruptions decreased with breaks up to 1500 ms but increased overall after 3000 ms.

Conclusions:

• Findings support task-switching theories, explaining complexity effects on cognitive performance.
• Results offer empirical evidence for understanding interruption and resumption dynamics.