Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2025
10:38
A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
13.7K
A global and local perspective of interruption frequency in a visual search task
Tara Radović1, Tobias Rieger1, Dietrich Manzey1
1Department of Psychology and Ergonomics, Engineering, and Organizational Psychology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Frontiers in Psychology
|October 3, 2022
Summary
Interruptions in medical visual search tasks, regardless of frequency, significantly impair performance. Accuracy decreases after interruptions, and response times slow, highlighting the need to minimize disruptions in critical medical settings.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Factors Engineering
- Medical Simulation
Background:
- Interruptions are common in high-stakes environments like healthcare.
- Previous research suggests interruptions negatively impact task performance.
- The effect of interruption frequency on complex visual search tasks remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how varying frequencies of task interruptions affect performance in a simulated medical visual search.
- To quantify the impact of interruptions on accuracy and response times.
- To determine if interruption frequency influences the severity of performance decrements.
Main Methods:
- 150 participants completed a simulated medical visual search task.
- Interruption frequencies (low, mid, high: 25%, 50%, 75%) were manipulated between-subjects.
- Target presence and interruption status were manipulated within-subjects.
Main Results:
- Overall, lower interruption frequency (25%) led to longer response times compared to high frequency (75%).
- Accuracy decreased immediately following interruptions, particularly when targets were present.
- Significant interruption costs were observed, with slower response times in interrupted trials.
Conclusions:
- Interruptions negatively impact performance in medical visual search tasks, irrespective of their frequency.
- Minimizing interruptions is crucial for maintaining accuracy and efficiency in critical medical visual search.
- Findings underscore the importance of designing interruption-free workflows in healthcare settings.
