The effects of cues on task interruption recovery in a concurrent multitasking environment

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Task interruptions degrade performance in sequential tasks.
• Optimizing performance after interruptions in concurrent multitasking environments remains challenging.
• Information cues are a potential strategy for mitigating performance decline.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of retrieval cues and assistant cues on interrupted task performance in concurrent multitasking.
• To examine the influence of personnel fatigue on the effectiveness of these cues using electroencephalography (EEG).

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted to analyze the impact of retrieval and assistant cues.
• Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to assess the effects of cues under varying levels of personnel fatigue.

Main Results:

• Assistant cues significantly improved performance in interrupted concurrent multitasking, particularly when participants were fatigued.
• Retrieval cues did not enhance task performance but effectively reduced operator workload and improved alertness.
• EEG data provided insights into the neural mechanisms underlying cue effectiveness and fatigue.

Conclusions:

• Assistant cues are effective in managing interruptions in concurrent multitasking, especially under fatigue.
• Retrieval cues offer benefits in workload reduction and alertness enhancement, contributing to overall operator management.
• Findings provide practical strategies for designing interruption management systems in complex multitasking environments.